Past Times
by myownmind
Summary: A crossover between Poltergeist:the Legacy, Criminal Minds, Supernatural and a few others. Nick Boyle has been kidnapped by Marcus, master vampire, for revenge. But he's not the only one. Warning: Sexually explicit content.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. They all belong to the people who created them and the actors who play the parts. I just had to borrow them for a little while. I promise to put them back when I'm done. Well, maybe._

_Hi! Thanks for taking the time to read this story. It's much more sexual that the others I've submitted. I guess it had to come out sometime. While the acts themselves only happen once or twice, the effects last a while so it's not for the squeamish. I'm sorry if this offends you but I'm trying to give you fair warning. The good news is, this chapter doesn't have any sexual violence in it. _

_At the moment the story is primarily centered around Poltergeist: the Legacy. That will change after the first few chapters. I just can't resist throwing as many different characters as I can into a story to see what happens. I was also giving into my sadistic tendencies by beating the crap out of my favourite characters. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!_

Chapter One

Nick Boyle startled awake. His gray eyes blinked. In a heartbeat his Navy Seals training kicked in and he was scanning his immediate surroundings, assessing threats. He found himself in a very dark room with his hands and feet bound with coarse rope. He wasn't a particularly tall man, about five foot eight inches but he prided himself for the strength in his body. At the moment, though, it wasn't doing him much good.

"Damn," he thought as he tried to remember how he came to be wherever here was. It didn't help. Sweat began to trickle down his close cropped brown hair. He wasn't sure if it was from the heat in the small room or fear. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer either.

Light flooded Nick's cell as the heavy wooden door creaked open. Blinded, he turned his head away from the light and waited for his eyes to adjust. Footsteps shuffled up to him where he lay on the floor. Rough hands caught hold of Nick's arms and hauled him to his feet. Despite the bonds Nick fought against being taken.

"He's a feisty one," the nearest black blob blocking out the light said as Nick turned his head toward the door. He should be able to see properly by now but everything was still very blurry. He wondered again what the hell had happened.

"Make's the blood all the sweeter," a male voice replied behind him. All Nick could manage was a grunt as he was pushed forward. Unable to stop, Nick crashed to the ground, a low moan escaping his lips. He could smell the floor, an almost mouldy dampness that reminded him of unfinished basements but his eyes were still being uncooperative.

"Don't bruise him," the first voice said. "He's going to need all the blood he has."

Fear spiked through Nick's system. He'd been preyed upon twice before by vampires. He knew the sick helplessness of feeling his life ebb away while not being able to stop it. Desperately, he tried to break free but they were far too strong. Each man was holding him by the upper arm in a vise-like gripe.

The two men dragged Nick through the door and down several hallways. The hallways had pools of light but he couldn't tell for sure what was making them. His inherent sense of direction let him know how to get back to his cell but it also told him that where ever he was covered a huge area. The walls passed by so fast, his knees dragging on the ground, that he couldn't tell what they were made of.

Nick's captors passed through a large door way. Suddenly, he had a sense of great space as the ceiling and walls vanished into darkness. If his eyes had been working properly, he'd have recognized the display in the centre as an alter to some dark force. As it was, all Nick could really see were several blobs and black within black. He continued to fight against his captors but to no avail. Nick felt the two men pick him up and toss him like a sack of potatoes onto some kind of furs. They left him lying on his stomach long enough to cut through his bonds. Then he was flipped onto his back.

Murmuring surrounded the ex-Seal. The voices came out of the darkness making hairs stand up all over his body. Untied for the first time, Nick tried to skitter away from the voices only to be forced back onto the fur by innumerable hands. Disembodied hands held his arms, legs and torso. Some were running over his clothes feeling his chest, stomach and groin. Grunting in fear and frustration Nick fought desperately but they didn't seem to notice.

"Well, well. You're as good as I remember," a voice stated from above him. Instantly Nick recognized the voice as belonging to a young looking vampire named Marcus. His heart fell down into his stomach. Flashes of his last two encounters played through his mind, momentarily paralyzing him.

"What do you want from me?" Nick managed. All round him was light from candles that had just been lighted and shadows but no discernable shapes. The apparently disembodies hands continued to roam over his body.

"I knew you would be a worthwhile prize," Marcus replied, his voice closer as a shadow moved over Nick. The hands withdrew to be replaced by a single hand with ice cold fingers. It gently, but firmly, turned Nick's head to the left, exposing his jugular vein.

"It'll hurt more if you fight," Marcus stated, his breath cold and foul smelling on Nick's left cheek.

Flesh tore, warm blood flowed over Nick's neck as pain seared through his system. He gasped, feeling as though he were drowning and closed his eyes against the swirling darkness. Dimly he could hear his father, somewhere deep in his subconscious mind, shouting and screaming at him to no give in, to fight until the end. Darkness descended.

O-O-O

Consciousness came back slowly. Pain pulsed through Nick's neck. Shuddering like he'd spend the last four hours in an ice house, the young ex-Seal blinked several times to clear his eyes and his mind. By sheer force of will, Nick kept from moaning or otherwise crying out. His eyes were clearer but they really didn't tell him much more. He was still in the dark room. Torches lined the entrance, giving some light but not much.

A quick glance revealed he appeared to be alone. Nick attempted to gain his feet. The farthest he got was his elbows before wave after wave of pain and nausea crashed over him. Gasping, Nick was forced to lie back down. He barely managed to roll onto his right side before bile rushed out onto the fur beside his head. In his misery Nick hadn't even felt his stomach muscles clench.

"Now, now, Nick. That's not good," Marcus purred from nearby. "I don't want you to die. I enjoy your blood too much for that."

Another heave which Nick felt this time, and there was nothing left in his stomach. The dry-heaves began. Growing weaker by the moment, all Nick could do was watch as the vampire drew near.

"There, there," Marcus said. His voice was remarkably compassionate as he placed a cold, damp rag on Nick's forehead. He used another to wipe the bile off Nick's mouth and cheek.

Sickened by his weakness and the fear that had begun in his stomach Nick closed his eyes and waited for his body to finish. After what felt like an eternity, his stomach calmed and the shaking stopped.

"Feeling better?" Marcus asked. "Maybe you'd like something to drink?"

His eyes still closed, Nick felt a bottle being held to his lips. Dehydrated beyond anything he'd ever felt, he allowed the vampire to trickle fluid into his mouth. He was as weak as a newborn kitten and couldn't have fended off the bottle if he'd wanted to.

When Nick had drank as much as he could, he turned his head away. The bottle withdrew.

"Clean him up," Marcus ordered somewhere above him. Hands caught hold of Nick and lifted him as if he were nothing more than a child. Opening his eyes, the world swam around Nick but he still had the sense that he was being moved to another area of the room. The only way he could really tell was that the torches became a little more distant.

Then there was light. A fire burned nearby, releasing heat into the cool air. Nick was quickly stripped before he had any real chance to argue. Then he was being placed into a bathtub or warm water. He was scrubbed quickly and impersonally. Even in the dim light of the fire, he couldn't see anything other than dark shapes surrounding him. The nausea threatened again. Nick closed his eyes against it and tried to ignore what was being done to him.

Finished, the vampires picked him up and carried him over to what felt like a bed and laid him down on a rough blanket. All ready goose bumps were being raised on his wet skin. His teeth chattering, nick opened his eyes again. Two female vampires were drying him off. The flames reflected off of their faces. Embarrassment rose as they reached his groin area. He quickly found he was helpless to stop them. Satisfied that he was dry, the women proceeded to dress the ex Seal in a long rope and a pair of underwear.

"Comfy?" Marcus asked. Out of the darkness he appeared. Marcus's pale face was shining dimly in the shadows, his blond hair as immaculate as ever. Casually he sat down on the bed beside the now clothed Nick. The blond vampire reached over and gently brushed some stray brown hairs across Nick's forehead.

"Don't touch me," Nick growled. The intimacy of the action unsettled him. Nick Boyle was many things but homosexual wasn't one of them.

"You're not in a position to argue." Marcus caught hold of Nick's nearest arm and lifted it toward him. Smiling, Marcus bit into the delicate flesh covering Nick's wrist. He hissed against the pain and tried desperately to defend himself to no avail. Darkness clouded the corners of Nick's vision. He broke out in a cold sweat and must have turned pale. Marcus ran his tongue over the ripped flesh but stopped sucking on it. Still smiling, he pulled a white cloth out of his pocket and used it to bandage the damage.

"I'm going to kill you," Nick whispered, fighting against unconsciousness.

"If you do that, the others will drink you dry. Besides, you'll never get home without my help," Marcus assured him. His voice was still very gentle, as if he were talking to a child not someone that wanted to end his existence.

"What do you mean?" Nick breathed, his vision diminishing with each heartbeat.

"Look around. We're nowhere near where you belong." Marcus paused to pull a fur blanket up over Nick before continuing. "There's an interesting fact about vampires that the Legacy has never figured out. Not only are we immortal, but we can travel back and forth through our own life times."

"You're joking?" Nick's stomach sank at the implications. Overwhelmed, he gave in and let the darkness take him. As he lost consciousness, he heard Marcus laughing heartily.

O-O-O

"Why doesn't he just finish him and be done with it?" Nick heard a voice ask from the end of a long tunnel.

"Why? When you want someone to suffer you don't end it quickly. The meat and his people were responsible for killing Marcus the thirteenth and fourteenth time," a second voice replied. Nick thought they might have been the two men that had dragged him down here.

"I have leaving meat around. It starts to stink after a while," the first voice stated.

"That's what we're here to prevent," the second man said. Nick dimly felt his body being lifted up. Suddenly he was very tired and very cold as the vampires stripped him of his robe.

Water ran over first his right arm and then his left as they gave him a sponge bath. The cold deepened to the core of his being. Nick started trembling again. The shivers were so bad even his teeth started chattering. He kept his eyes closed. Somehow it was easier to take that way.

By the time they were done, Nick was numb. He had no idea where they were but it definitely didn't have central heating. The vampires appeared to enjoy his discomfort because they barely tried to dry him before covering him with a fresh rob and what felt almost like a diaper. Humiliated, Nick supposed it made some kind of sense. It still didn't take the sting away.

Nick forced his protesting body up onto his elbows. Seeing this, one of the vampires tending him smiled, baring his fangs. "Apparently he isn't weak enough." It was the first voice Nick had heard.

Still grinning, the vampire pulled Nick's bandaged wrist out from under him causing his body to fall back onto the bed. Nick was nearly exhausted from the energy it had taken to maintain that much of an upright position. The young ex Seal attempted to pull his arm away and kick the man in the head at the same time. Neither action happened however Nick's body just couldn't manage it.

Slowly, as if savouring the moment, the vampire unwrapped the bandage from around Nick's torn wrist. He paused long enough to breathe in the metallic scent of blood before carefully cutting open the barely scabbed holes with his fang. Blood gushed as nausea and unconsciousness crashed over Nick. A small gasp escaped his parted lips as he slipped into oblivion.

"I don't think you should have done that," the second vampire stated, taking in the human's green and white complexion as his eyes rolled back into his head.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the first vampire allowed a self-satisfied smile to brighten his dark features. "Marcus is right. He does taste very good."

Footsteps approached from down the corridor leading to the central chamber. Quickly, the first vampire licked the blood off Nick's wrist before reapplying the bandage. There was no hiding the few drops of blood that had fallen on the human's robes and bed clothes. He hoped no one would notice.

Marcus entered followed by a tall human with salt and pepper hair. Behind the human were two of Marcus's lieutenants, one of which carried a bowl of some steaming concoction. Ignoring the two subordinates, Marcus knelt down on the bed beside the insensate ex Seal.

"What happened here?" he demanded. The scent of spilled blood was unmistakable. Marcus knew how much blood he could remove from the human body before causing catastrophic failure among the organs and tissues. He could sense instinctively that his favourite prey was on or below that threshold, beyond where he'd left him.

"He was fighting. I had to get him to stop," the first vampire replied, a slight quiver in his voice.

"By draining him???" Marcus demanded. His ire raised, he struck the offending individual across the face, hard. "If I ever catch you near my prey again, I'll slit your throat and let your blood feed the ground."

"Yes, sir," vampire number one said diffidently as he made haste out of the chamber.

"You," Marcus growled, indicating the human. "You are responsible for keeping your friend alive. You can start by getting this broth into him.

"If he dies, so do you." With that, Marcus ushered the other vampires out of the cavern, pausing long enough to post two guards at the entrance.

Waiting until the vampires had left, the human advanced toward the bed, the bowl of broth clutched in both hands. "Nick?" he called out quietly, his voice lilting with a soft Welsh accent.

Getting no response, the tall man set the bowl down beside the bed and then sat on the fur beside the unconscious man. The ex-Seal's pale, drawn appearance shocked him. Fearing the worst, he checked for a pulse on the side of Nick's neck that had not been gnawed on and was rewarded with a weak but steady rhythm. A quiet groan issued from the younger man's lips but he gave no indication of coming around.

"Damn them," Derek Raines swore. He turned to pick up the bowl but as he did so a bubbling sound caught his attention. Realization came quickly and Derek got Nick rolled onto his side just as bile trickled out of his mouth. An instant later and the young man would have drowned on his own vomit.

The vampires had left a basin of clean water and a cloth. Retrieving these, Derek gently cleaned his friend's face and the fur bed spread. Fear continued to gnaw at his insides as he replaced the basin and picked up the bowl. Derek knew he had to get some form of nutrition into the young man before permanent damage set in. Gently, he propped Nick's head and torso against his own body to prevent him from choking. Then he used the spoon supplied to dribble a small amount of the broth between Nick's open lips.

Convulsively the unconscious man gagged and then choked as broth made its way into his lungs. His entire body convulsed as the choking coughs continued, arching him away from Derek's supportive body. Desperately, Derek rolled him onto his stomach with his head hanging over the side of the bed and pounded him on the back to dislodge the offending liquid.

Long minutes passed during which Derek could do little more than wait for the ex-Seal to recover. Eventually the coughing was replaced by ragged breathing.

Cautiously, Derek rolled the smaller man back up to a half sitting position. The grey eyes flickered blurrily in the gaunt face. "Derek?" he asked, his voice little more than a croak around his painfully raw throat. In the dim light form the fire, Nick wasn't sure of his cognitive abilities.

"Yes, it's me. They captured me to take care of you. Apparently Marcus enjoys the taste of your blood," Derek replied.

Tenderly he drew the smaller man against him again and proceeded to feed him the broth while he was still awake. He knew it killed the proudly independent younger man to be bed but he didn't have the strength to do it himself.

Four spoonfuls later, Nick had had all he could safely drink. All ready, his stomach was beginning to spasm in protest because of the unfamiliar food. "Enough," Nick managed, turning his head away as bile rose in his throat anew. Swallowing in rapid succession he managed to prevent the bile from making it all the way up. That was one small victory at least.

"We'll try again later," Derek replied as he slid out from under Nick long enough to set the broth down. Gently he slid back underneath Nick's body and graced himself against the metal bar that created the head board. The younger man felt deathly cold against him. Cautiously, he pulled part of the fur up and over Nick in an attempt to warm him.

"I'm okay," Nick mumbled, attempting to pull away from his mentor and boss. He had little success but he kept trying none the less.

"Save your strength, Nick," Derek stated, pulling the slight body back. "You're going to need it if we're going to escape."

Giving in against the temporarily stronger man, Nick relaxed and closed his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, the body heat coming from Derek felt good.

"Marcus said we can't escape," Nick managed as sleep crept over him as the chill slowly ebbed away.

"There's always a way," Derek replied as Nick's breathing deepened to soft snores. Concerned that the younger man wasn't breathing right, Derek had never heard him snore before, he shifted his head and torso until Nick leaned against his left chest and shoulder. The snoring stopped. Satisfied, Derek prepared to watch over the injured man for as long as he slept.

O-O-O


	2. Chapter 2

_This is where things get a bit nasty. Just wanted you to be warned!! I'm a little (a lot) embarrassed by this but it's what came out! I didn't really have a lot of control of it. Please let me know what you think. If it's complete garbage I won't continue to post it. I just know on a deeply twisted level it made me happy when I wrote it. _

Chapter Two

Time passed. How much time Derek Raines wasn't sure. Enough time that the vampire guards were replaced once. Enough time that the guards had to add more wood to the fire six times to keep it burning. Enough time that Derek's back protested about the dead weight pressing against him.

Nick Boyle, Legacy member and ex Navy Seal was a relatively short man, at least against Derek's six foot two inch frame. At five feet eight inches, the brown, close-cropped haired, gray eyes man appeared almost child-like in Derek's arms. Derek knew, however, how deadly and precise the smaller man's wiry frame could be. While Nick probably only weighed around one hundred and fifty pounds, he could usually take on men and demons much larger than himself. That is, until they keep him weak and half-dead.

Nick jerked awake, startling himself and a lightly dozing Derek. Wildly he looked around to figure out where he was only to find the familiar darkness surrounding the bed.

"Nick, it's all right," Derek assured the younger man. During his time in the cavern Derek had found pretty much the same landmarks, the bed, the bathtub, the fire , the darkness and the thin line of light escaping from the single door way. One his way into the chamber, Derek had seen the rough hewn rock walls of the corridors and knew that they must be underground. Beyond that he had no idea.

Some of his strength having returned, Nick managed to push away from Derek and remain in an upright position. His blood starved muscles, however, began to tremble with fatigue almost immediately. Stubbornly, Nick ignored the tremors and looked around.

"We're underground," Derek supplied as he slipped out from under Nick. Muscles protesting, he stood up and moved into the darkness to relieve himself. He had no idea how far away the walls were but he didn't find them despite walking a good fifty feet away from the fire and bed.

"I knew that," Nick replied somewhat testily. He could feel the cloth of his underclothes as being wet and fouled against his skin. Disgusted with himself and his weakness, Nick gained the edge of the bed by sheer determination. He paused to gather his strength for the next leg of his trip. He pushed off from the bed and stumbling over to the still filled tub. The water was cold and soapy but he didn't care.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked upon his return. He'd know that Nick had soiled himself while he'd been unconscious. It was a natural process and one that continued even beyond death. Nothing at all to be ashamed of. Apparently, the humiliated man propped up on trembling legs felt differently.

"What does it look like?" Nick growled. He'd hoped to do this without witnesses. No such luck. Derek stepped toward him as if to help.

"Don't touch me," Nick spat. Derek drew up short and looked at him questioningly but chose to remain mute.

Balancing precarious with one hand on the cast iron tub, Nick struggled to pull the robes up and over his head. It took some planning but eventually the cloth fell to the ground. The undergarment was more difficult and Nick was tiring rapidly. Sheer determination won out again. Naked, Nick climbed into the tub and virtually collapsed into the water.

Hesitantly, Derek made his way to the side of the tub. Nick was as white as a sheet and covered in a cold sweat from his efforts. Exhausted beyond the point of human endurance, the ex-Seal could do little more than sit in the cold water. His back and feet were braced against the tub sides to keep from drowning. The gray eyes stared up at Derek, humiliated and barely focused.

Without saying a word, Derek knelt down beside the tub and used the cloth from the basin to gently wash his friend's body. Half way though Nick closed his eyes and leaned his head back as if giving in to the process. By the time Derek was finished, Nick had not spoken a single word.

Satisfied that the young man was as clean as was possible given the state of the water, Derek made as if to help the semiconscious Nick out. Before he could, however, a hand fell onto his shoulder and turned him around. Derek came face to face with Marcus.

"Leave. Wait outside the entrance," the master vampire ordered. A flash of the vampire's eyes and Derek had no free will left. Timidly, he walked out of the cavern.

"This is your present," Marcus purred to the female standing beside him. "Be careful, though, don't take too much. He's too good to waste."

Grinning evilly, Marcus left his sister with the defenceless man. He walked by Derek as he left but didn't bother to look at the human.

"I can see that you're pretty enough to keep around," the woman said more to herself than Nick as she circled him in the bathtub. "But I don't know what's so special about you."

Casually, the female vampire reached out, caught Nick by the neck with one hand and lifted him out of the water. Choking, Nick could do little more than fight feebly against her.

Chuckling, the woman tossed the ex-Seal onto the bed. Terror pumped adrenaline into Nick's system enabling the young human to sit up and scuttle backward.

Lightning fast, the woman caught hold of Nick's neck again, preventing further flight. She held him with enough strength to keep him from escaping but not enough to choke him. With hungry eyes, she looked over inch of her prize. The dim light from the fire seemed to be all she needed.

"I hope that's because of the cold water," she stated, her eyes resting on Nick's genitals. Not waiting for an answer, she forced him to lie down on the bed.

The ex-Seal didn't dignify that with a response. He fought with her hand, trying to break free. No luck.

Still grinning, the vampire caught hold of each of Nick's arms in her hands and forced them beside his body. Struggle as he may he could not dislodge her. Slowly, the female began kissed Nick's chest, sending shivers of cold and fear through him.

"Get off me," Nick growled, continuing to squirm.

The woman ignored him as she made her way to his slim hips. Her tongue flicked out, running from his belly button to the triangle of pubic hair. The more Nick struggled, the more she seemed to be enjoying herself. Gently, at first, she turned her attention to his penis and testicles.

Conflicting sensations spread through Nick's body as she kissed and manipulated him. Groans of disgust kept filtering out from between his clenched teeth. Against his will and beyond all belief, Nick developed an erection. The rush of blood to the erectile tissue causing him to become light headed.

The vampire, quite pleased, began to hum gently to herself. She glanced up at the confusion on the young man's face briefly. "Are you ready?" she asked, a wicked glint in her eyes.

Before Nick had a chance to ask what she meant, the female bared her fangs and sank them greedily into the large vein on the side of his penis. Convulsions of pain spread through him in ever widening circles, taking Nick's breath away. His muscles stiffened. A scream was ripped out of his throat. Then Nick collapsed into unconsciousness yet again.

Ignoring the human's plight, the female took her fill, even as the member deflated. Content, she liked nothing better than to use men's pride and joy against them, she released her hold on Nick's body and sat up. Grinning widely, she patted the damaged member, revelling in the grunts and groans of pain that issued from the human's lips every time she touched it.

Derek rushed back into the room his friend's scream having broken the spell on him. Angrily, he pulled the vampire away from Nick's still form. "Leave him alone," he growled. He positioned himself between the demon and Nick even though he knew he didn't stand a chance against her superior vampire strength.

Instead of becoming angry, as the Legacy Precept had envisioned, the female simply smiled at him. "That's all right. I don't like sloppy leftovers." With that, she left the cavern.

Shaking with anger and revulsion, Derek turned his attention to the unconscious Nick. Upon examining the damage, Derek swore under his breath as he moved to retrieve the basin and cloth.

With as much care as he could muster, Derek wiped some of the blood away from the twin wounds. Despite being unconscious, Nick groaned piteously. Gritting his teeth together, Derek rinsed out the cloth and wiped gently at the punctures. Nick called out, his hands balling up in fists in the fur bedspread during the times of contact. When Derek moved the cloth away, Nick panted against the burning embers of pain that remained, his face screwed up in a grimace.

As much as he hated to do it, Derek hadn't finished cleaning the wounds. With as little pressure as possible, he again wiped at it with the cloth. Nick screamed, wrenched his hips away and rolled onto his side, his back toward Derek. Loud moans escaped through clenched teeth as the pain pulsed from his loins.

"That's going to have to do," Derek said to himself. Cautiously, he pulled the bedspread up behind Nick's naked back and folded it over his trembling body. The moans and groans continued for a lot longer than Derek would have liked but eventually, the ex Seal became very quiet.


	3. Chapter 3

_And so it continues! Thank you very much Randi for your wonderful reviews. I'm very glad that you're enjoying this story. I wondered if it was too graphic when I started it but I couldn't seem to stop myself. Things just come tumbling out! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!_

_Susanne_

Chapter three

Time passed again. The vampires supplied Derek with bandages, salves, food for himself and more broth for Nick. The young man remained curled up on his side, unmoving. Derek knew he should attend the wound some more but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he ate his meagre meal and waited.

O-O-O

More time passed. Derek attempted to dribble broth into Nick's mouth from his current position with only partial success. Still, he was happy to have gotten any fluids into his friend. Despite his stomach being virtually empty of food, Nick's body continued to process and excrete waste. Derek managed to keep his friend reasonably clean. He didn't want Nick to go through the earlier humiliation.

O-O-O

It could have been hours or days later, Derek wasn't sure. The first sign Nick gave of coming around was a low moan followed by a sharp intake of breath. Derek saw the young man's muscles tightened under the pelt as the pain registered once again.

"Nick," Derek said, sitting down carefully beside his friend's back.

"Derek?" The voice was weak and very quiet, unlike anything he'd heard come from the other man.

"How do you feel?" Derek knew it was a stupid question but it was the only one that had come to mind.

Nick couldn't even must an answer. His muscles in his thighs and stomach twisted in response to the rampaging signals coming out of his grain. He bit his lip to keep from crying out but all he managed to do was cause his lip to start bleeding.

"Derek," Nick said again in desperation. He couldn't even open his eyes to look for the taller man. So he held out his right hand in hopes of finding him by feel.

Not knowing how else to help the younger man, Derek caught hold of Nick's hand and held it. Consciously, the ex Seal would tighten and release his grip as he rode the waves of pain. At times it felt like the younger man would break his hand. Derek could hear the bones creak under his skin. Eventually, Nick passed once more into unconsciousness.

Gently, Derek rolled Nick onto his back, being careful to remove the pelt before it made contact. Upon inspection, the Legacy Precept found the wounds to be red and slightly pussy. Grimacing, Derek collected his supplies and carefully set to work. Low groans and moans issued from Nick while Derek strove to clean the punctures. The only good thing was that the wound had stopped bleeding quickly so Nick hadn't lost any more blood. Derek was thankful for that at least.

"She really does have a dirty mouth, doesn't she?" Marcus stated from behind Derek.

Startled, Derek jumped causing him to press harder than he'd intended to. Nick called out against the pain and made feeble attempts to get away.

"What do you want?" Derek demanded, squaring off on the head vampire. He was past caring. Behind him Nick's moans were becoming weaker with each passing moment.

"That same thing you do. To keep Nick here alive," Marcus replied. Nonchallantly, he pushed Derek out of the way to get a better look at his favourite prey. Concern flashed over his pale features. With one long finger, he reached out and pressed the red area around the wound.

Nick screamed and tried to pull away. When he couldn't, he lay where he was, panting. Marcus made as if to do it again. Derek stepped in the way but was again batted to the side. With more care than the older human thought he had in him, Marcus gently palpated the wound.

Instantly Nick screamed again, his voice going hoarse. His muscles stiffened with the pain. Then they began to spasm, compounding the problem. Barely breathing and still unconscious, he continued to scream.

Deeply disturbed, Marcus caught hold of the salve from Derek, unscrewed the top and quickly applied liberal amounts of it. Nick writhed under the vampire's touch, his face contorted in a soundless scream. Even after Marcus finished, Nick's body writhed in anguish, tears running down his drawn cheeks.

"Leave him alone," Derek demanded, moving to his friend's side. Nick was sweating profusely and could not sit still, his hands balled into the fur.

"This will help," Marcus replied. He stepped away and waited. Nick's thrashing began to diminish within minutes. His breathing came in great sobs that slowed down in time to quiet whimpers. The muscles in his stomach and thighs continued to twitch but at a much abated rhythm. Eventually, the young ex Seal's body became still.

"He needs a doctor if you want to keep him alive," Derek stated looking down at his friend's lifeless form. If he couldn't see him breathing, Derek would have been positive the younger man was many hours dead at this point.

Marcus looked at him for a moment as if considering his options. "You're right," he said finally. "Pack up your supplies."

Quickly, Derek dumped the water out of the basin and then packed it with the broth, bandages and remaining salve. He wasn't going to let Marcus change his mind. Finished, Derek turned back to his friend in time to see Marcus pull the fur around Nick and pick him up as you would a sleeping child.

At first they travelled the halls quickly, Marcus leading the way. Nick's head lolled on the vampire's should and Derek brought up the rear. They had travelled for little more than twenty minutes though the twists and turns of the cavern system when Nick began to wake up.

A low moan escaped the young man's lips. That was followed by another, louder groan. Just as Nick came to full wakefulness and realization, Marcus managed to hypnotize him to keep him quiet.

O-O-O

After what felt like an eternity, Marcus led Derek into another chamber. This one was better lit and had three nooks cut into the walls that held bedding. Marcus walked by the guards at the doorway. "These two are mine," he stated simply on his way by.

The vampire moved to the nearest bed and laid Nick down in it. "Dr. Gideon, get over here," Marcus called out.

The hypnosis was beginning to wear off. Nick began to shift restlessly under the fur as the pain started to register once more. Low moans escaped but his eyes remained closed.

An average sized man with blond hair and brown eyes joined the duo. He clutched a leather bag in one hand. "Anything you need," Marcus stated and then turned and left.

"What happened?" Dr. Gideon asked. He could see the bite mark on the man's neck but that did not explain the amount of pain he was in. Carefully, he pulled back the pelt as he waited for a reply.

"A female bit him in the genitals," Derek replied. It was the only way he could think to explain the damage.

At that moment Nick woke up, gasping for air. The pain was beyond anything he'd ever experienced before. All ready darkness clouded his vision as red flashes streaked across every time the pain pulsed. He looked around wildly, not recognizing the face hovering over him or the wall. The scream began. Nick couldn't stop it, it was almost primal in nature. His body thrashed about with a mind of its own. Fear pulsed through him, further stifling his ability to breathe.

"Damn it," Dr. Gideon swore upon seeing the damage and the distress his patient was in. "First things first."

Out of the bag came a vial of morphine. Estimating the man's weight, the doctor filled a need and syringe. Quickly, he rolled Nick up onto his side and injected the drugs into his left buttocks.

Long moments passed. The drug began to take effect and Nick quieted. He lay on his back, breathing hard with his fists still balled up in the fur. He'd long ago stopped sweating. Even Derek knew that was a bad sign.

"How do you feel?" Dr. Gideon asked. He all ready knew everything that was wrong with the man. He had the blinding migraine to prove it. Blinking rapidly against the pain, Mark wiped a trembling hand across his brow. He pulled an intravenous catheter, plastic tubing and a bag of glucose water out of his bag.

"Awful," Nick whispered. His throat was raw from screaming. He had no voice left. The morphine had done wonders for the pain but had had little effect on the muscle twitches.

"I know," Mark replied. Expertly, he inserted the catheter into Nick's vein and attached the glucose bag. He handed it to a hovering Derek. "Squeeze that in as fast as you can."

The doctor then turned his attention to his bag. He located a bottle of liquid antibiotics, a syringe and needle. This drawn up and administrated, he pulled a tube of topical antibiotic and gauze out of the bag and returned the other drugs to their spots in the bag.

"This isn't going to be pleasant," Dr. Gideon announced as he turned back to Nick.

"What are you going to do?" Derek asked. The doctor seemed to know what he was doing but the Precept didn't know how much more Nick could take.

"The wounds need to be cleaned," Dr. Gideon stated. "Even the morphine won't stop all the pain."

"What happens if you leave it alone?" Nick asked his voice raspy and barely above a whisper. He was having trouble following the conversation, morphine was a wonderful drug.

"It falls off?" Dr. Mark supplied helpfully. "Sorry. If I don't clean you up the infection will spread to your blood. While this may make you less appetizing to the vamps, it will also kill you."

Nick and Derek exchanged brief glances. Fear burned in the ex Seal's stomach. The last thing he wanted was to live through any more pain. The alternative was even less appetizing however. For his part, Derek wasn't sure he could stand to hear his friend crying out again. "Do it," Nick whispered.

"Okay," Mark said relief flowing through him. For a moment there he'd thought the man was going to be difficult. He turned to the older man. "You might want to hold him down."

Derek hung the glucose bag up on a hook hanging down from the top of the nook. Then he climbed over Nick's body so he could position himself to hold the smaller man during the ordeal to come.

The doctor took a few minutes to prepare his supplies. "Ready?" he asked. The terror in the man's gray eyes almost stopped Mark cold. Gritting his teeth, he carefully washed his hands in a basin of water. While he had his back to the other two men, Mark briefly closed his eyes. The headache was still there, interfering with his concentration. Prepared, he turned back to his charge.

Postponing the inevitable, Mark started on the wounds on Nick's neck. Once that was done, he pulled the fur down, exposing the man. The wounds were uglier than he'd though. The vampire obviously had a very dirty mouth.

Steeling himself, Mark placed the clean cloth on the twin holes and applied slight pressure. Nick stiffened, his hands seeking out the pelt. The colour drained completely out of his face. Puss seeped from the holes. Mark removed the cloth, soaked it in the antiseptic solution and applied it again. Better to get this over with quickly.

Pain exploded. Nick couldn't find the breath to scream. His instincts took over for rational thought. The ex Seal struck out, trying to dislodge the source of the pain. He didn't get very far. In Nick's weakened state, the Legacy Prefect easily restrained his friend.

The smaller man squirmed under his hands as he rode the waves of pain that continued to wash through his system. Moans and groans escaped Nick's lips but he didn't hear them. His conscious mind had retreated to the dark shadows of his soul, safe and secure.

"Aren't you done yet?" Derek asked. Bile was burning up his throat as his subordinate's suffering.

"Just about," Mark responded. The struggling stopped. Nick had passed into unconsciousness. Relieved, Dr. Mark was able to spend a few extra minutes to make sure the wounds were as clean as he could get them. Then he put two small stitches in each hole before applying the antibiotic and wrapping it. Not the best alternative but it was all he currently had at his disposal.

"Is he going to be okay?" Derek asked as he carefully extracted himself from the nook.

"Hard to tell. He's lost a lot of blood and he's weak so he'll have trouble fighting the infection. We'll pump as much fluid as we can into him, keep an eye on the infection and hope for the best," Dr. Mark informed him.

"What's all you can do?" Derek wanted to know. It didn't seem like nearly enough.

"If I had access to equipment and was allowed to do a blood transfusion there wouldn't be any doubt. Unfortunately, we don't have that option." Mark was cleaning his instruments and putting his supplies back in the bag.

"We're the same blood type. You have the catheters and tubing, you could give him a transfusion that way," Derek suggested. He really didn't like the pale colour of his friend's face.

"They won't let me. They're worried about contamination and ruining the flavour of the blood," Dr. Gideon replied. "By the way, what should I call you both?"

"I'm Derek Raines, this is Nick Boyle." It seemed strange to be doing introductions for his unconscious associate.

"Nice to meet you. Mark Gideon," the doctor said. "He'll probably sleep for a while. Let him. Can you keep an eye on the fluid bag for me? I have other patients to see."

"There are more people here?" The question slipped out. Of course it made sense that there would be. Marcus wasn't the only vampire here. But the possibility hadn't occurred to him until now.

His bag closed, Dr. Gideon paused to look at the taller, older man. Despite his best efforts he couldn't keep the stunned look off his face. "Of course there are." Then he turned and left the cavern.

_AN: I was going to give you the choice of whether Nick is healed instantly or if he should continue to suffer for a while longer. Then I realized I had too much written with Nick being healed quickly to just ditch that line of thought. So, even though Nick gets healed, it doesn't last long!! I'm a bad, bad person. Enjoy! _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Unsettled, unsure of what to do with himself now that Nick was sleeping, Derek paced the cavern for a few moments. Then he settled down on the floor in front of Nick's nook. He wanted to sleep but he wanted to make sure he knew it if anyone came too close to his injured friend.

Over Derek's head he could hear Nick still breathing raggedly and the occasional moan. Apparently the morphine was all ready beginning to wear off. Or the pain was increased. A distinct possibility given the ministrations the doctor had just performed.

"I've found someone who can help," Dr. Gideon said as he entered the cave. "This is Max."

A pale, dark haired young man shuffled over. The twin puncture wounds on his neck and wrist were prominent against the white skin. Mark glanced at him with sympathy clear in his dark eyes. "I know you're weak, Max. But I need you to heal Nick's wound, or as much of it as you can. I don't know how much more of this he can take."

"Whose is he?" Max asked in a mildly interested voice. Unsure, Derek moved out of the way. The doctor hadn't led him astray so far. He was going to have to trust him in this too. Max knelt down beside Nick's sleeping form.

"Marcus's," Gideon responded.

"Sorry," Max breathed. Taking two deep, calming breaths, the young man reached toward Nick. Derek stepped forward, unsure of what the boy was going to do. Mark placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. The boy pulled the blanket back and swallowed hard when he found the damage. Max paused, his head down as if gathering his strength, before holding his hands over Nick. An orange glow began in his hands that infused the area. Several heart beats later, Max collapsed to the dirt floor, exhausted.

"Max?" Mark said as he quickly covered the distanced between them. Carefully he helped the young man to his feet and moved him over to the nearest unoccupied bed.

Concerned for his friend, Derek moved back to Nick's side. He couldn't believe his eyes. The wound was completely healed. Small white marks along the shaft attested to the damage that had been done. Beyond that there was no indication of the extremely painful bite mark. Nick heaved a great sigh in his sleep.

"How did he do that?" Derek asked upon Mark's return.

"He's an alien," was the simple reply. "If he was at full strength, he could probably heal everyone here and blast our way out. Unfortunately, Alex comes to feed on him every twelve hours to prevent that from happening.

"Alex?" Derek asked hoping desperately that the doctor didn't mean Alex Devereaux, his associate. The dark beauty had been seduced twice by the lure of eternal life. Both times she'd beaten the urge, to Nick's great relief. The ex Seal had been her chosen first prey.

"In his first life Alex was an alien hunter. Now he gets his kicks feeding off one," Dr. Mark replied.

"I thought vampires killed everyone they feed off," Derek wondered. For the first time he had a chance to discuss the burning questions he'd had about vampires with someone who'd faced them first hand.

"Most of the time. Occasionally the vamps find prey they like for whatever reason and choose to keep them alive. This room is filled with those chosen people," Dr. Mark informed him. He was gazing down at Nick, trying to ignore his own headache. The pain had reduced to a dull ache but it was still distracting.

"Couldn't you fight back?" Derek hated feeling so helpless.

"You've seen how weak they are. Even if we could mount any kind of resistance we wouldn't get everyone out." Dr. Mark replaced the IV bag because it had all ready run dry. He hung it back up on the hook hanging from the ceiling of the nook. "Keep this running into him. I have to go check on the others." With that, the doctor closed his bag and began making his rounds among the wounded.

Derek looked down at his friend. Absently he pulled the fur back up to cover his naked body. For the first time, the younger man had some colour in his face and appeared to be sleeping deeply. Suddenly, he realized just how very tired he was. The dirt floor at the edge of the wall looked very inviting. Derek pulled his jacket off, laid it out on the floor and curled up on it. The Legacy Precept was asleep almost before his head met the ground.

O-O-O

Nick came awake hesitantly. Subconsciously he was afraid of facing the pain he knew waited for him in the light. When he finally opened his eyes, Nick was shocked to find little to no pain. He almost gave in to the urge to pink himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Blinking sleep out of his mind and eyes, Nick cautiously sat up. Little used muscles protested mildly but otherwise he found he had more strength than he'd had in a while. He discovered the IV. That explained the strength but not the lack of pain. Almost fearfully, he pulled the blanket back to examine himself.

"How long have I been out?" Nick breathed upon seeing the healing scars.

"A day, day and a half," Derek replied from his position on the floor in front of Nick's nook.

"What happened? Where are we?" Nick was taking in their surroundings and feeling very lost.

"Marcus agreed to let a doctor take care of you. We're in another cavern where the other chosen blood donors are being housed," Derek supplied as he gained his feel. Quickly he checked the latest IV bag and was relieved to find in still partially full.

"What kind of doctor are we talking about?" Nick asked as he cautiously swung his legs over the edge of the nook. He suddenly felt the need to stand on his own two feet. It seemed like it had been a very long time since he last had. Derek stood up and moved a few steps away to allow his friend room.

"Well, the doctor put the IV in but someone else healed your wound." Derek scrambled to catch the smaller man as his knees collapsed under him. Tenderly, he held Nick up and slowly began the process of moving him back to his bed.

"Damn it," Nick swore under his breath. In the brief moments he'd been erect, Nick's legs had begun to shake until his knees had given out. "Who was this other person?"

"A young man. The doctor claims that he is an alien. I don't know what he is but he healed you by holding his hands over you," Derek stated, a small smile playing on his lips as he relived the experience.

"Take that out of him!" Marcus ordered from behind Derek.

Startled, the Legacy Precept nearly jumped out of his skin. He hadn't heard the master vampire come up beside him. Deliberately, he sat Nick on the bed.

"Dr. Gideon put it in to rehydrate him," Derek replied. Nick was attempting to reach his feet again. He had to catch his friend's arm before he fell back onto the bed. Damn he hated being so weak.

"I don't care what Dr. Gideon thinks," Marcus growled, baring his fangs. Angrily, he caught hold of the catheter and pulled it out of the human's vein. Tossing them away, he brushed Derek aside. "You are mine."

Knowing what was coming, Nick struck out at the vampire, connecting sharply with his nose. Marcus touched his face, his eyes flashing with anger. "You're going to pay for that."

Nick struck again but the vampire caught his fist and turned it sharply. The bones went as far as they could then they snapped.

"If Max heals this, I'll break both of them next time," Marcus hissed. He continued to twist the arm, enjoying the feel of the bones grating together. Hissing between clenched teeth, Nick tried desperately to break the vampire's death grip. All he managed to do was hurt himself more.

"Let him go!" Derek Raines shouted. He jumped forward and caught hold of the vampire's arm. He was again brushed aside to tumble to the sand several feet away.

Nonchalantly, Marcus pulled Nick toward him with the injured arm. The young human squirmed against his body. The vampire revelled in the sense of power this gave him. With his free hand, Marcus turned the struggling human's head, baring his neck. He'd made sure it was the side that he hadn't bitten. He enjoyed breaking the skin too much. The human panted against his shoulder, his struggles quickly weakening. Grinning, Marcus sank his teeth deeply into Nick's jugular. Blood gushed into his mouth and flowed down his chin.

The fluids had changed the essence of Nick's blood that he'd enjoyed so much but Marcus drank deeply anyway. Seeing the human standing and appearing ready to fight had made him angry. He barely kept from draining the meat entirely as the rage flowed through him. Finished, Marcus released Nick and allowed him to sink bonelessly to the floor. "No more IV's. I like him the way he is."

"You wanted me to help him. I did," Mark shot back. He'd come up while the vampire had been feeding and kept Derek from interfering. He didn't want any more patients than he all ready had.

"Keep him alive, not well. He's too much trouble when he's healthy." With that, the blond vampire exited the cave.

"Damn him," Derek swore. Two strides brought him to his friend's side. Nick was drawing breath between clenched teeth but refused to make any sound. He cradled his broken left arm across his stomach and seemed oblivious to the fact that he was completely naked. "Let me help you up."

"I'll get my supplies," Mark said with some resignation in his voice. "And I'll find something for him to wear."

"I'm sorry," Derek apologized as he got the smaller man onto his bed. He covered Nick with the fur.

"There was nothing you could do," Nick assured him, his voice barely above a whisper. Pain flashed across his face despite his best efforts. Tentatively, he pulled his arm out from under the fur. The pressure caused more pain. Nausea and unconsciousness were constant threats. Nick considered giving in to them but his stubborn streak surfaced preventing him. Wearily, he closed his eyes and waited for the doctor to return.

Moments later, Dr. Mark was back. He had his back with him and two men. "I'm going to set the arm here, and then I want to move him closer to the fire. If Marcus is going to keep draining him, he's going to need the heat."

"How much damage is this going to cause?" Derek asked, hovering nearby. He wanted to keep any eye on what was being done to his friend.

"If I set it right, Nick shouldn't have any permanent effects from the broken arm," Mark replied. He could feel Nick's muscles twitching under his fingers while he examined the arm. "The vampires know exactly how much blood to take. They have no intention of permanently damaging the donors. Unless, they're bent more on revenge then need or lust."

With no warning and a quick jerk, Mark realigned the bones. Nick cried out despite his best efforts. The pain passed quickly to be replaced with a dull ache. As the pain ebbed Nick slipped into oblivion.

"First, let's get him dressed. Then I'll get you to move him," Dr. Gideon instructed the two men who were hovering behind Derek.

As gently as possible, Mark and Derek lifted the sleeping man and pulled the underwear, cotton pants and shirt on him. The clothes were very close to the green scrubs Dr. Gideon wore at the hospital but were made of a more coarse material. The larger of the two men slipped his hands under Nick's shoulders and his knees. Effortlessly he stood up, Nick resting against his chest like a sleeping child. The ex Seal's head rested on the man's broad shoulder. Derek didn't like his friend being touched by anyone he didn't know but he had to admit that he would have had a great deal more difficulty carrying Nick. Defeated, he collected the few items they'd accumulated and prepared to follow wherever the man led him.

"He's light," the man stated. He let Mark and the other man lead the way further into the cavern before following. Silently, Derek brought up the rear. The size and weight of the man in the man's arms surprised him. Dr. Gideon had thought it was going to take two of them to move him. He'd been wrong. Until this moment, he'd thought his colleague and friend Spencer Reid had been the slightest man he'd know. By the time SSA Aaron Hotchner reached the man's new bed, he'd barely broken out in a sweat. Aaron laid Nick down on the fur. His job done, Aaron headed back over to his friend's bed to resume his position on the floor, directly in front of Spencer's nook.

This area of the cavern was in a circular form with two corridors that allowed movement between here and the other parts of the cavern. In the centre, a large fire burned. It cast flickering lights over the ring of beds. Of the twenty five beds that were carved into the walls, only a few were occupied. There was nearly always someone like Derek for each occupied bed hovering nearby.

"So many," Derek breathed. His stomach had dropped to his ankles.

"These are just the ones that get preyed on the most. I prefer to keep them together. It lessens the amount of time I spend running," Dr. Mark stated. He paused long enough to make sure Nick was comfortable before heading off to the next occupied bed to check on the young man occupying it.

The other man drifted away to join his own charge. Not knowing what else to do, the San Francisco house Precept looked down at Nick's sleeping form.

The younger man was sleeping on his right side, his back toward the opening of the nook. His broken arm rested along his body, above the covers. The other arm was drawn up so that his hand rested beside his head. Derek was suddenly struck by just how young Nick looked while he slept. A shiver of fear and concern crept up the older man's back as he sat down beside Nick's bed and prepared to wait.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The cavern was relatively quiet other than the occasional moans. Derek spent his time napping lightly and watching the comings and goings around him.

A short time after Nick had fallen asleep, Derek watched as a tall, thin man entered the cavern. The newcomer wasted little effort in canvassing the room. He strode over to the bed where Max was sleeping. The newcomer knelt down beside the sleeping healer so that his body was between the boy and the Precept's line of sight. Concerned, Derek began to stand up only to have Dr. Gideon place his hand on his shoulder to restrain him. Silently, the blond man shook his head.

"How can you just let it happen?" Derek demanded his voice low.

"It's easier to not resist. When we do, people get hurt or die," Dr. Mark replied. Derek could feel the other man's muscles trembling. He doubted very much that it had anything to do with fear. More likely, it was due to suppressed rage.

Across the fire, Derek saw Max's body stiffen in reaction to some form of pain. He was sure he could hear the boy gasp despite the distance. His stomach turned to ice. Gulping air, Derek managed to keep from vomiting. Instead, he turned his attention to the sleeping Nick.

"Shouldn't we splint his arm?" Derek asked to distract himself.

"Marcus would just break it. He really doesn't appreciate my efforts to heal very well," Dr. Mark replied.

The vampire, finished with Max, moved over to the next bed where a tall man who barely fit in the alcove. He was thin like the vampire. Derek was sure he saw the man who'd carried Nick over sitting to the side, sound asleep. He thought the vampire was going to drink, as he had of Max but instead, he reached into the alcove and did something he couldn't see. Derek heard the boy moan quietly. Laughing to itself, the vampire left. Dr. Mark moved over to the boy and Derek could hear soft voices.

"Derek?" Nick asked. His eyes were taking in his surroundings wildly as he processed memories as fast as he could.

"I'm here. How do you feel?" Derek was happy to see the younger man awake.

"Like I've gone twelve founds with Mohammad Ali," was the quiet reply. Gingerly, the ex SEAL rolled onto his back and glanced around. "Where are we?"

"Apparently, this is where the favourite blood donors stay. Dr. Mark finds it a lot easier to care for them this way," Derek informed him.

Before they could continue their conversation they were interrupted by a new arrival. A huge human form came through the right hand entrance carrying a bundle. With a sinking sensation in his stomach, Derek knew instinctively what was contained in the bundle. Another donor.

Ignoring the humans, the creature, for its face and skin reminded the Legacy Precept of a large lizard, moved over to the bed beside Nick's and unceremoniously dumped the bundle onto it. Satisfied, the creature turned and left.

"Another one?" Nick asked. He was swallowing rapidly to keep the nausea gnawing at his stomach at bay.

"I'll be right back," Derek said. With no sign of Dr. Mark, Derek took it upon himself to check.

Under the rough blanket, Derek found a blond man. His eyes were closed. He looked marginally younger than Nick. Faint freckles were splashed across his nose and cheeks. Under normal circumstances they'd be virtually invisible but with the gray pallor of the man's skin they stood out. The Legacy Precept suddenly felt very old.

Gently, Derek pressed his fingers against the man's neck. It took a few moments to find the right spot. Then he felt a slow but strong pulse. At least he was alive.

"Step away from him. NOW!" a deep male voice demanded.

Startled, Derek turned to find an imposing man with short dark hair standing beside him. Barely suppressed anger burned in his blue eyes.

"Is he your friend?" Derek asked as he cautiously moved away to stand beside Nick's bed. "He has a strong pulse."

"Yeah, and I want to keep it that way." The man had the bearing of a cop. The way his hand kept straying to his left hip indicated that he was used to being armed. He waited until Derek moved away before approaching the lump on the bed. "Ed?"

There was no response. Still keeping an eye on Derek and the other inhabitants of the cavern, he knelt beside the blond man. Carefully, he pulled the blanket away from the other man's body. The rough fabric clung to a large blood stain that started from the right side of his neck. "This has got to be a bad dream," Detective Sergeant Jack Pogue said quietly. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"No dream," Dr. Mark stated. He had to take a step back as the huskier man rounded on him. "Careful, I'm the only doctor here. Break me and there won't be anyone to fix me."

"Sorry," the man responded gruffly. "Do you have any ID?"

"You're a police officer, aren't you?" Dr. Mark slipped by the man to examine his friend on the bed. As expected, the man was suffering from blood loss. Two puncture wounds were evident on the right side of his neck. The amount of blood on the man's shirt and jacket surprised him, though. Usually vampires weren't that wasteful.

"Detective Sergeant Jack Pogue. This is Detective Edmund Oosterhuis. We're from the Toronto Police Department, Metro Division," the bear of a man informed him. Anxiously he watched as Mark continued his examination.

"Toronto. That's in Canada, right?" Dr. Mark asked. The wounds were particularly brutal. There was more bruising than normal as well. "Let me guess. He fought back."

"Yes, Toronto's in Canada and yes, he fought back. What the hell is going on here? Do these people think they're vampires or something?" Jack didn't like the pallor of his partner's skin. It made him nervous.

"Oh, they don't think they're vampires. They are vampires," Mark responded. He had discovered further damage to the man's hands, chest and stomach. The knuckles on the hands were ripped up while his chest and stomach showed signs of deep bruises beginning to emerge.

"You're kidding, right?" Jack couldn't believe what this man was saying so matter of factly.

"Look around. Does it look like I'm kidding?" The police officer was well muscled. He obviously took good care of his body. Even that wasn't going to protect him from the vampires' strength.

"They didn't try to bite me," Jack countered.

"The vamps like to keep one person to feed on and the other to take care of the donor. Personally, I think they just like to see the second person suffer while they feed. They seem to get off on it," Dr. Mark explained.

"Is Ed going to be all right?" Jack couldn't keep from asking. The last thing he wanted was to be left here alone.

"Yeah, he should be." Dr. Mark carefully cleaned Ed's neck and hands. Then he bandaged them. Lastly he hooked up an IV. "That's all I can do for him at the moment. Let him sleep."

"Thanks, doc." Sergeant Pogue made himself comfortable on the edge of his partner's bed. Warily, he kept an eye on the other inhabitants of the cave and tried to ignore the growling in his stomach. He watched as Dr. Mark made his rounds. It shocked him to see the three small bodies across the fire from him. Over the murmur of the others, Jack heard the smaller figures talking quietly in a language that did not sound like English. Ed moaned softly. Concerned, he turned his attention to his partner.

Ed's brown eyes blinked blurrily. Finally, they came to rest on Jack's face. "Jack?" he asked his voice uncertain and hoarse.

"Yeah, I'm here. How are you?" Jack tried to help when the younger man struggled to reach a sitting position. Ed was brought up short as his body protested.

"Great, just great," Ed murmured through clenched teeth. The ribs on his left side sent stabbing pains through him. Ed had had broken ribs before. This was exactly how it had felt, minus the good pain killers. "What the hell's going on?"

"We've fallen through the rabbit hole, my friend," was Jack's cryptic response.

"That doesn't sound promising," Ed breathed as he took in their surroundings.

"It's not."


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: I forgot to mention this earlier. Dr. Mark Gideon is from 'The Others' an old NBC show. Jack Pogue and Edmund Oosterhuis are from "Blue Murder", a Canadian production. I've also thrown Aaron Hotchner and Dr. Spencer Reid from "Criminal Minds" and Max from "Roswell" in here. Apparently I was having a little too much fun with this one. But I'm not done. In this chapter Frodo, Pippin, Merry and Boromir from "Lord of the Rings" also make an appearance. Who knows where this is going but soon Sam and Dean Winchester from "Supernatural" will also be here. _

_What can I say, the vampires have good taste!!_

**Chapter Six**

Jack's attention was torn between Ed and a dark figure advancing on the middle of three smaller figures across from them. A large man was sitting on the floor between the smaller figure on the left and another figure. His chin was resting on his chest as he slept. Distractedly, Jack laid a hand on Ed's shoulder while he watched the dark figure bend over and pick up the child.

"I'll be back in a moment," Jack told his partner.

Standing up, the police officer set a course to intercept the two. Just as he reached them, the figure turned its head toward him. The white, gaunt, ghost-like face startled him, momentarily bringing him up short. Baring its fangs at the human, the form continued on. In two steps, Pogue covered the distance and gripped the form's nearest shoulder, stopping it in its tracks.

"I think you'd better leave him here," the police officer stated.

"This is not your affair," the figure responded in a low, gravelly voice. It rounded on the human, one hand reaching for Pogue's neck to snap it like a twig. Jack had sensed the move coming and had stepped aside to avoid it. He caught hold of the thin arm and pulled the tall figure off balance, sending him tumbling toward the fire. In an attempt to save itself, the figure dropped the child and used both its arms to regain its footing.

Having been watching the altercation, Derek darted forward, caught the wrapped child up and carried it quickly to Nick's bed. Gently, the Precept laid the bundle between Nick and the wall before turning back to the fight.

Deprived of its goal, the figure pushed the burly police officer into the wall with enough force to knock the human unconscious. Ed attempted to gain his feet to protect his partner but found he didn't have enough strength. Luckily it wasn't necessary as the creature left the cavern.

"Jack?" Ed called out. He tried to gain his feet a second time with just as much success.

"I'll check him," Derek stated. He'd all ready covered most of the distance anyway. Just as he reached the crumpled form, Jack moaned.

"Did we beat it?" the police officer asked. Carefully, he extricated his body from the wall. A quick inventory indicated that nothing was broken or permanently damaged. Except for a goose egg over his right eye, he'd survived intact.

"If you mean keeping it from taking the child, then yes," Derek responded as he gave the bigger man a hand up.

"He's not a child," Nick stated. He'd examined the bundle for injuries. Pogue's statement about falling through the rabbit hole suddenly seemed very true. "I don't think he's human."

The two men joined him. Fear and curiosity played across both men's faces.

"What do you mean by that?" Jack asked.

"Well, the pointed ears, small body and big, furry feet would seem to indicate otherwise," Nick responded. Tentatively, Nick pulled the blanket off of his bed mate. Gently, so as not to disturb the sleeping figure, the ex SEAL pushed the curly brown hair to reveal distinctly pointed ears. Two puncture wounds stood out starkly against his tanned neck. The wound appeared to be old, though, old enough that it had had a chance to heal somewhat.

"What are you doing with Frodo?" Dr. Mark demanded. Until this instant he'd thought he could trust the four men. Now he wasn't so sure. None too gently, the blond doctor pushed the two guardians aside and reached beyond Nick's shoulder to extract the Halfling.

"A creature tried to take him away. Sergeant Pogue stopped it," Derek defended their actions. Human or not, they wouldn't allow anything to happen to the small figure if they could help it.

"What exactly is he?" Nick asked amazed again by Frodo's small size.

"He's a hobbit," Dr. Mark replied. He knew the shape Frodo was in. Otherwise his complete lack of response would have concerned him. As it was, the hobbit was cool and damp to the touch. He had to get him and the others out of here soon.

"What might that mean?" Derek asked. Dr. Mark turned toward the fire. The flickering light played over the thick, furry feet dangling out of the blanket.

"I'm not sure. Genetic tests would probably say that he's a cousin to us but that's it," Dr. Mark stated.

The man who had been sleeping on the floor jumped to his feet. He checked the bed that Frodo had occupied. Clearly scared, the man turned toward the huddle across the fire.

"It's okay, Boromir. He's safe," Mark called. Quickly, he carried the Halfling over.

"I fell asleep," the tall dark blond haired man stated. Shame was apparent on his face. He was dressed like a warrior of old.

"That's allowed. There's enough of us to keep water, as Sergeant Pogue has just demonstrated," the doctor assured the man. It was the first time the warrior had slept since the four had arrived six days ago. It was bound to happen eventually.

"I'm responsible for the Halflings," Boromir said, his shame at failing at his job burned on his face.

"Yes, but you still need to sleep. Here," Dr. Mark held out Frodo. Gently, the human received his charge and returned him to his bed.

O-O-O-O-O

The cavern gradually settled. The latest arrivals were asleep, no longer able to fight their exhaustion. Derek and Jack had taken up positions by their respective charges. They spoke quietly, comparing notes and coming up with plans of action. Several were created and discarded as implausible or unsafe.

"We have to find a way to keep the vampires from feeding. There's no way we can move these people if they're kept this weak," Pogue stated. He knew only one thing. They were not in Toronto. He and his partner were definitely lost.

"How would you suggest we do that? You've been at the receiving end of their determination. None of us are armed," Derek responded.

"I'll think of something. Just give me time," Jack said.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi. This chapter is a little shorter than the others but it seemed like a good place to stop. I promise to make up for it with the next one. Enjoy!! (I hope)._

The caves settled down as one by one the inhabitants gave into their weakness and exhaustion took over. Some of the guardians dozed as well, the days of being awake and the tension having overcome them. Quietly, Dr. Mark moved among his wards, doing what he could for them with the supplies he had.

The Legacy Precept was himself nodding off. He sat on the ground before Nick's bed, his head resting on his drawn up knees. Above him, he could hear the younger sleeping fitfully. Every once in a while the ex SEAL would cry out and move under the fur as if in the throes of a nightmare.

When it got too bad, Derek would get up and soothe the younger man. Each time shame burned on Nick's cheeks. He hated being this helpless and vulnerable. When he awake he could never remember the dreams themselves, yet a sense of suffocating prevailed.

For his part, Edmund found sleeping difficult because he couldn't find a position that didn't aggravate something. The skin over his stomach and chest was becoming tight from the emerging bruises and fire burned along his left side. Groaning despite his best efforts, Ed tried to sit up. Pain and nausea assailed him like a physical blow. Gasping and swallowing rapidly, the blond police officer was forced to lie back down. Even with his eyes closed he could feel the world swirly around drunkenly.

More bile rose. Unable to prevent it, Ed turned his head and vomited. Instantly, Jack was beside him. "Damn," Ed swore to himself as he felt someone whipping at his face with a damp cloth. The smell alone was enough to send Ed's stomach heaving but he managed to overpower the reflex.

"What happened?" he heard an unfamiliar voice ask.

"Don't know," jack replied. Ed could hear the fear and concern in his partner's voice, though he doubted anyone else could. "He just threw up."

Warm fingers touched his neck. Afraid, Ed forced his eyes open despite the spinning. A man with blond hair and brown eyes was examining him. Jack stood behind him but didn't seem to be threatened at all by the man so Ed allowed his eyes to slam shut again.

"My name's Mark Gideon, I'm a doctor," the man explained. "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy," was all Ed could manage before the nausea reared its ugly head again.

"What's going on?" Jack demanded.

"Between his cracked ribs and lose of blood, he's not oxygenating his blood properly, hence the dizziness. If I could do a blood transfusion he'd heal faster but they won't let me. When I've tried they hurt everyone involved, it's not worth the risk."

"So, what do we do?" Jackson Pogue asked. He really hated it here. He missed his little girl and even his ex-wife.

"All we can do is give him time. Is he allergic to any medications? Morphine?" Dr. Gideon asked. Ed shook his head 'no'. "Okay, well, I'm going to give you a low dosage of morphine, enough to lessen some of the pain but hopefully not enough to aggravate the spinning."

Carefully, the doctor drew up the drug into a syringe and injected it into Ed's nearest leg. Within minutes Ed could breathe better and the dizziness abated to the point that he could finally open his eyes. Relieved, he made as if to sit up but Jack laid a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Don't push it," he warned. "You'll need your strength for later."

"Is there going to be a later?" Ed asked as he tried to find a comfortable position.

Before Jack had a chance to answer a female vampire seemed to materialize in front of Nick's bed. Derek, seated beside him, fell sound asleep at a touch of her hand.

Jack started to scramble to his feet when he felt a hand grip his shoulder to keep him down. Angry, he glanced up to see who it was and found Dr. Mark who simply shook his head 'no'.

The woman bent over the sleeping Nick. Her death-like hands came up and disappeared among his blanket and clothes. Even where he sat, Jack heard the younger man moan. "Did you miss me?" she purred. Another moan.

A sound that made Jack's hair stand on end, the vampire had chuckled. She pulled the fur back while she pulled Nick's sweatshirt up to expose his chest. Slowly, seductively, she ran her tongue from his chest to his lower abdomen. Nick sat bolt upright, ignoring all his injuries and tried to dislodge his tormentor. Ignoring him, she continued, intent on her prize. Baring her fangs, she speared her ultimate goal again. His body going completely stiff, Nick choked out a scream as pain radiated from his groan yet again.

"Nancy," Marcus had appeared beside his sister. Disappointed, she hadn't had her fill yet, the female withdrew from Nick's bed and turned her attention to Marcus. "Leave him be, I have a surprise for you."

OOOOO

"They're beautiful," Nancy purred.

"They're brothers," Marcus said, smiling down at the two bound and gagged men lying on the floor of the cave. Off to his right was the bed Nick had used, the fire and the bath tub. "They thought they knew how to hunt vampires."

"Did they really?" An evil smile revealed Nancy's fangs. "It's so hard to choose."

Happily, Nancy stood over the two men and examined them. "Which is younger?" she asked.

The taller of the two had dark gray eyes, brown hair and a beautiful body. The shorter one had hazel eyes, blond hair and a hardened, muscular body. Both of them glared up at their captors. The smaller one appeared to be trying to get loose.

"Young Sam," Marcus replied indicating the taller man. "Dean is the older brother."

"Hmmm. How to choose." Nancy ran a finger over her teeth as she contemplated her prey. "Any preferences?"

"I like them tall," Marcus stated. Without waiting for a response, he descended on the struggling younger man.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi. Just wanted to let you know that I've reposted chapter five. I had thought about not putting the hobbits in this but I'd all ready written them in. Then when I did leave them, that chapter had to be fixed._

_I hope you're enjoying this. It's another really odd story from me. I promise, not all of my stories are crossovers. Just most of them. ;)_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"That leaves you." Still smiling, Nancy knelt down beside Dean. The man's eyes kept straying to his brother as he tried harder to cut his bonds. The anticipation thrilled through her body as Nancy casually slipped the man's shirt off, further binding his hands.

Slowly, she ran her hands over his well muscled chest and down to his abdomen. Dean struggled as best he could but he didn't manage to dislodge the probing fingers.

Giggling, Nancy unbuckled his belt, then his jeans and pulled them down to reveal his lower abdomen. Baring her fangs, she sank them deeply into the vein leading to his genitals. Dean screamed into his gag and bucked to try to dislodge the woman. As the seconds passed however the elder Winchester became very still as unconsciousness slipped over him.

Two feet away, Sam felt like his head was going to explode. Any contact with Marcus sent flashes of his former victims through Sam's mind. What the master vampire had done to the unfortunate people was bad enough to watch but Sam's torment was made worse by the stabbing pain that accompanied the visions. The pain was so bad that the younger Winchester barely noticed the sensation of suffocating as his life blood was drained. Oblivion was a God send.

OOOOO

Sam came back slowly. The after effects of the visions burned in his skull but not as nearly the intensity of before. Blinking his eyes, Sam checked his immediate surroundings for attackers. Relieved, he tried to roll closer to his brother. Dean was lying on his back, his chest and abdomen exposed. He still appeared to be unconscious. Grunting into his gag, Sam got up against his brother's side and nudged him with his shoulder.

Dean was very cold to the touch and unresponsive. Scared, Sam nestled as close as he could to share his body heat. His head wound up on Dean's shoulder. Looking down at his brother's torso, Sam noticed the bite marks. He had no idea how much time had passed while he'd been unconscious but all ready the wounds were puffy, red and wet looking.

"Dean?" Sam said into his gag. Verging on hysteria, he tried again to wake his older brother. Dean was the one who made the plans, who always seemed to have things under control. Without his guidance, Sam suddenly felt very young.

Dean's shoulder moved against his cheek. Dean's head moved and came to rest against the top of Sam's head. Under his cheek, Sam could feel his brother trembling. Whether from fear, cold or pain, he couldn't be sure. Unsure of what else to do, Sam closed his eyes and fell instantly asleep. Anaemia was a great sedative.

Sam's breathing deepened. Distantly a part of Dean wished he could join his kid brother. The other part, the hunter part, wouldn't let him. Despite the cold sweat that had broken out over his body and the radiations of pain pulsing from his wounds, Dean took stock of their situation.

Wherever they were was dark and cold. Off to his left was a low burning fire and what might be a bed. Beyond his feet was the entrance to their cell but he could see the two guards posted just outside.

Exhaustion washed over him. Ignoring the pain, Dean tried to get his hands loose once again. After three minutes of fruitless effort, he had to give up. Breathing as deeply as he could through his nose, Dean closed his eyes to try to get his strength back to try again. Oblivion cascaded over him.

OOOOO

"Isn't that sweet?" Sam heard a voice grate from above.

Instantly on guard, he opened his eyes and blinked at the blinding light. "What do you want?" he asked in as threatening a voice as he could manage around the gag.

"What was that?" Nancy purred. Grinning, she bent down, caught hold of the gage and pulled. Pain flashed as the tape pulled at his skin. Ignoring it, Sam spit out the gag.

"Get away from my brother," he hissed.

"But that would leave only you to occupy me. Are you ready for that?" There was an evil glint in her dark eyes that made the youngest Winchester nervous. Seductively, Nancy began undoing the buttons on Sam's shirt.

"Don't touch me!" Sam's skin crawled as her cold as ice fingers brushed against it. Ignoring him, Nancy undid his pants and forced them below his hips.

Desperate, Sam struggled as hard as his bonds would allow. It was bad enough that Dean was virtually incapacitated, they couldn't afford to have them both injured. The bite on Sam's neck itched but he didn't really fell all that bad. If he had his hands free, he would have stood a good chance of defending himself, or so he thought.

Nancy had him virtually stripped. Casually she ran her fingers over the muscles of Sam's stomach. She enjoyed the way they rippled under her touch.

A vision began to flash through Sam's head. Along with it came the blinding pain slicing through his skull. Gasping, Sam tried to blink away the pain to keep himself in his present situation. Instead, images kept flashing through his conscious mind. Images of blood, lust and death overwhelmed his sense. Bile rose in Sam's throat.

"You're one of those, aren't you?" Nancy breathed. She was lying beside the younger Winchester, watching as he tried to recover. Smiling, she brought up her wrist, bared her fangs and bit into the delicate flesh. "Try this."

Before Sam could figure out what she had planned, Nancy forced the wound between his lips. The blood flowed down his throat. Barely able to keep from aspirating, Sam felt the visions intensify and the pain with it.

Unable to handle any more, Sam gave into the darkness and lost consciousness.

"You're no fun at all. I guess I'll have to content myself with you," Nancy pouted. She moved over to Dean. Within moments she had his gag removed as well as his hands and feet untied. She liked it better when they could struggle properly. Humming contentedly, Nancy turned her attention to his clothes.

Despite everything that was wrong with him, Dean took advantage of his freedom and attacked his attacker. He managed to dislodge the vampire and was gaining his feet when he glanced at his brother. In three seconds he took in the lack of clothes, his white skin and his shallow, erratic breathing. Fear and adrenaline burned through his system as Dean launched himself at the female.

It felt like he hit a brick wall. The impact pushed the breath out of his lungs and knocked him backward. The elder Winchester brother kept his feet, narrowly keeping from stepping on Sam, and launched himself again. Just as he made contact, he shifted his stance and set his shoulder, barrelling into her midsection. Nancy was forced to take one step to maintain her balance. Then she brought her hands down on either side of the human's torso. She felt bones creak and possibly snap. The human went down like a stone.

"That's enough," Marcus barked.

"You're no fun!" Nancy replied.

"I don't want you to kill them!" Marcus growled.

"I'm beginning to wonder about you brother. You're becoming attached to too many men." Forestalling any further conversation, Nancy sauntered out of the cave.

Sighing, Marcus looked down at the two inert bodies. Perhaps his sister was right. He may just be too attached to too many men. The one drawback to women, though, was that they just didn't last long enough to make them worth the effort.

Sighing again, Marcus picked up Dean and laid him on the bed. He felt at least one rib creak under his hand. Unconscious, Dean didn't react at all. As gently as he could muster, Marcus rearranged the human's clothes. Dean didn't respond well to having his pants pulled up but the vampire left them there anyway.

Sighing, whether from exhaustion or boredom, Marcus wasn't sure which he made his way over to the taller man. Sam appeared to be having a bad dream. He was twitching and muttering under his breath. Every once in a while he'd groan or call out. His eyes were firmly closed, however, and showed no sign to opening any time soon.

Unsure of what his sister had done to the human Marcus picked him up, carried him over to the bed and placed him beside his brother. Briefly, Marcus considered leaving him the way he was, drinking them and touching them were two very different things. Frustrated, the vampire tugged at the human's clothes before throwing a pelt over both of them. He was going to have to find someone to watch them. He wasn't going to do it.


	9. Chapter 9

_Hi. I wanted to warn you that this is the last chapter that I all ready have written. The updates after this are going to be slower. _

_I have to agree with masondixon. Having the hobbits and some of the other characters in this story is becoming very hard. Now I know why I stopped writing it in the first place. After this chapter I'm going to reduce the number of characters to just the main ones. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill them off or anything but I will get rid of them. Hope this doesn't upset anyone._

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER NINE**

Nick woke up to the worst pain he'd ever felt. Well, it was about the same as before but it was still pretty damned overwhelming. His breathed hissed between clenched teeth as he tried to find some kind of center. He needed to compartmentalize this if he was going to be of any use.

"Nick, are you awake?" Derek asked from somewhere beside him. If he could force his eyes open, Nick knew he'd find his Precept and mentor hovering very nearby. As much as Derek hoped otherwise, there really wasn't anything he could do to help.

Prying his eyes open, Nick had to blink a couple of times to clear them enough to focus on Derek's concerned face. He tried to tell him that he was all right, he really did but all that came out was a low groan.

"Damn it," Dr. Mark swore as he gently moved Derek out of his way. A quick glance was all he needed to confirm his worse suspicions. He set down his bag and pulled out two syringes. Without asking permission, he drew up some morphine and an antibiotic. Marcus be damned, he had no intention of waiting until the inevitable infection to set in. Expertly, he injected both into Nick's nearest hip. Within minutes, Nick was sleeping peacefully.

OOOOO

It felt like Sam's head was ready to split open. He was having trouble thinking straight as more visions pounded through his mind. Gasping, Sam sat bolt upright. "Dean!" he called out in desperation.

Beside him, Dean stirred. "What?" Not completely aware, Dean reached out instinctively to comfort Sam.

"Dean?" Terrified beyond anything he'd ever experience before, Sam caught hold of the groping hand and pulled it to his chest. He couldn't even seem to see anything. His eyes didn't show him what was before him. Just the visions. Pain took away any ability to think properly. All Sam wanted was for it to stop.

"What's wrong, Sammy?" Dean forced his protesting body up until he could clasp his brother's shoulder. Fear and concern flashed through Dean at the pallor of Sam's face and the sheen of sweat on his skin. Something was very wrong.

"Visions," Sam choked out. Unsure of how to help him, Dean gently forced his brother back onto the bed.

"I don't have anything to give you for the pain," Dean muttered. He was lying on his side facing Sam. Desperate, Sammy curled into his brother hoping the contact would interrupt the visions. Uncomfortably, Dean placed his arm around Sam's shoulders. Shortly, Sammy's breathing deepened as he either fell asleep or lost consciousness.

OOOOO

"Get up," Marcus ordered. The donors weren't looking any better. It didn't surprise him a great deal but the younger one appeared to be in the worst shape.

Instantly, Dean was awake. He blinked into the light. Instinctively he moved to protect his brother but was brought up short by the broken ribs and the bite. Gasping against the pain despite his best efforts, Dean glanced around to take in the situation. Behind the short, blond vampire were two much larger vampires.

"I'm moving you," Marcus stated. It had taken a lot of time and energy but he'd finally found out what his sister had done to Sam. While not fatal, the visions would keep him incapacitated until her blood had passed through his system. Marcus wanted to make sure the donor was well cared for until then. The brother, well, he was going to get sicker before he got better.

"Where to?" Dean asked. He didn't really care but thought he'd ask. Beside him, Sam was curled up into a fetal position, trembling like a leaf.

"To a doctor," Marcus replied simply. Nodding at the two behind him, the lead vampire stepped out of the way. "If you fight, you'll only be hurting yourself."

"I'll be the judge of that," Dean growled preparing to launch himself at them. Nonchalantly, the vampire closest to him reached out and smacked him below the belt. Pain exploded, taking his breath away. While Dean was still dazed, the vampire picked him and headed out of the cave.

OOOOO

"Don't you have enough?" Dr. Mark sighed as he moved out of the way so the vampires could deposit their loads.

"Shut up," Marcus barked. In two steps, he had the blond doctor pined up against the wall by his throat. Mark's feet dangled in the air as he struggled to draw breath. Over Marcus's shoulder, he could see Jack, Derek, Aaron and some of the others making as if to take on the vampire. Luckily, before the attack was necessary, Marcus released him. Gasping for air, Mark fell to his knees.

"Take care of them," was all the vampire said. Ignoring the other donors and attendants, the vampires left the inner cave.

"Are you all right?" Derek asked as he helped the younger man to his feet.

"Yes," Dr. Mark managed around his all ready swelling throat. "I should know better by now."

Shaking off the Legacy Precept's supportive hand, the young doctor advanced on his latest charges. The shorter one was probably about his age or a little younger and the other was definitely younger. Quickly, Mark examined Dean and planned his treatment. Then he moved to Sam, sleeping in the other alcove.

As soon as Mark drew near, blinding pain exploded in his skull. Reeling, Mark used the alcove wall for support as he waited for the initial wave to pass. It had been a while since his empathic abilities had asserted themselves. He'd almost forgotten he had them. Even his response to Nick had been minor in comparison. Panting, he realized that what was happening was beyond just his own body.

"What can I do?" Derek asked. Jack had returned to watch over Ed and Nick.

"Ah," it was hard for Mark to think straight. While the doctor thought about it, Derek slipped forward and laid his hands on the boy. Images cascaded through his mind. Horrible, terrifying scenes of blood and death. From long experience as a psychic, Derek was able to let the images roll over his conscious mind without actually letting them affect him.

Moments turned into minutes and still the images came. The boy whimpered and shifted restlessly. More minutes passed. Derek was only vaguely aware of the doctor's presence beside him. The doctor finally managed to get enough control over his body that he backed away, leaving Sam in Derek's hands. Mark paused for a moment, watching. Then he left to go get the supplies he would need to fix up the older donor.

Gradually, Derek noticed that the images were slowing down and losing some of their intensity. Suddenly exhausted beyond anything he'd ever felt before, Derek slowly sank to the floor and was promptly asleep. Above him Sam heaved a deep sigh and feel into a deep sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

_I'm sorry this has taken me so long to get out. Now that I actually have to think it seems to take too damned long. Oh, well, I hope you enjoy it anyway._

_Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story and everyone who's been reading it. I thought I was going to be the only twisted soul who would enjoy it!! I'm very happy to find out that I'm not. Please let me know what you think works and what doesn't. I'm still going to reduce the number of characters but it'll have to wait until the next chapter. _

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER TEN**

"Are you okay?" Dr. Mike asked when Derek finally opened his eyes. Blinking in the dim light, Derek tried to remember what had happened. Images flashed through his mind. Images of hundreds of men being killed in truly heinous ways. Images of blood and death. It took him a moment to realize that the memories were not his own.

"Yeah," Derek said when he felt the good doctor's eyes boring into him, waiting for a response. During the time that he'd been asleep his body had stiffened on the cold sand. Groaning quietly, the San Francisco house precept got onto his knees and then managed to stand up. Groaning again, he arched his back to get the kinks out. As he stretched, Derek glanced at Nick.

His young security expert looked pale. There was a thin sheen of sweat covering his face. As Derek watched, his face twisted in a grimace as pain flowed through his body. A moan drifted up to him. Worried, Derek stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"The wounds are infected again," Dr. Mark said. He'd all ready done everything he safely could. "The antibiotics can only do so much. We may have to cauterize the wounds but as you can imagine, that will be the last resort."

"Why don't you get Max to heal him again?" Derek asked. Nick's skin was hot to the touch. As he watched two patches of colour began to rise on Nick's cheeks. The fever was getting worse.

"You saw what happened the last time. Even if Max was strong enough, Marcus would get very angry and probably hurt them both," Dr. Mark stated. He turned to the two new arrivals. Both were still unconscious. At least the taller of the two seemed to be peaceful. The short of the two was thrashing around a little, his cheeks bright and his skin clammy. Dr. Mark knew Nancy had bitten him. He even knew where but again the antibiotics just weren't strong enough. That creature really did have a very dirty mouth.

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Derek breathed. He ran his fingers through Nick's hair, trying to bring him some comfort. As the colour rose in his cheeks, the security specialist was beginning to move around restlessly. Derek could hear the moans becoming more frequent and louder.

"Here," Dr. Mark said, handing Derek the bowl with cool water and clothes in it. "Try to get his temperature down with these. I'll work on these two."

Dr. Gideon moved the shorter brother's jeans down so he could get a better look at the wound. The young man groaned and tried to bat his hands away. Seeing the red, swollen marks on his lower abdomen, the doctor moved in a little closer. He palpated the swollen area around the puncture marks. The slight pressure immediately brought a response as the man pulled away from him and tried to burrow deeper into the niche.

"It's okay," Mark said as he continued his examination. As he moved closer to the actual marks, puss began seeping through them. He found antiseptic liquid and clean bandages in his bag. Soaking the bandages, he applied them gently to the wounds. A strangled scream erupted from the man as his entire body stiffened in reaction to the pain. "Sorry."

Sammy was dreaming. It was the first time in a long time that the dreams were all his own. None of the horrors they were forced to face on a daily basis had surfaced. Which, on a subconscious level he knew that shouldn't be the case thanks to the vampire blood circulating through his system. Then a sound nearly out of range sent a shiver through Sam's body. It was a sound that he heard rarely. One that he preferred not to hear. His brother was in pain. Swimming frantically, Sam tried to get out of the dark pit he was comfortably curled up in to reach the surface of his mind. He had to get to Dean.

"What are you doing to him?" Jack demanded. The moans and groans were really getting on his nerves. He knew from experience that Nick didn't tend to make those sounds needlessly. He wasn't so sure about the other guy though. He seemed to be particularly articulate at the moment.

"I'm trying to clean his bite mark. Unfortunately it is extremely painful but it has to be done," Dr. Mark replied. He was getting a little frustrated. The shorter man was strong and wiry. He was having trouble reaching the area he needed to.

"Do you need any help?" Jack asked. If by helping he could get this over with sooner, he was all for it.

Sighing heavily, Dr. Mark admitted defeat. "Yes. I could use some help."

With very little trouble, Jack held the man down while the doctor carefully cleaned the puncture wounds. Besides the puss, there were red marks leading away from the initial swollen area. The infection was spreading. He'd all ready given the man some antibiotics but he gave him some more. They needed to knock this infection down quickly. Before the infection reached his blood and killed him.

"Thank you," Mark said as he finished up. A bandage or band aid would be a really bad idea so he chose to leave the wound open to the air. He left the man's pants down enough to expose the wound but nothing else. Then he moved to the taller man. A quick check indicated that other than the usual feeding place, he hadn't been bit. It only took a few moments to clean the wounds and check the man's life signs. While his heartbeat was a little faster than he'd like, the rest of it indicated that he was all right.

"How many more donors are these creeps going to collect?" Jack asked suddenly. He glanced over at his blond partner, sleeping fitfully in his niche. He had no idea how they'd come to be here.

The last thing Jack remembered, he and Ed were working on a case. They stopped at a witness's house to get their statement. Jack could remember the witness opening the door and ushering them in. He could remember as he and Ed stood in the entryway and asked their questions.

Then everything went black until he'd opened his eyes in a cave. He and Ed had spent a couple of days in that cave. It wasn't until Ed had been beaten and fed on that they'd been moved here. The entire time he kept hoping they'd wake up and find themselves back in Toronto. Where they belong and would hopefully wind up again.

"I've been asking myself the same question ever since I came here. Apparently the donors are chosen primarily because they've pissed off a vampire. That's the only common denominator I've found so far" Dr. Mark informed him as he put his supplies away. He glanced down at the dark haired man beside him while he worked. Beneath his closed eyelids, the man's eyes were moving rapidly. Whatever he was dreaming about it was a doozy.

"Man. This has got to be a bad dream," Jack muttered under his breath. Shaking his head, he returned to his partner's side. Ed was too uncomfortable to sleep well. He watched as his partner slid down the wall in front of his bed. It was rather comical played against the flickering flames of the fire. From his position on the bed, it looked like Jack shrank until he was no more. If he was feeling up to it, Ed would have given him a hard time. As it was, he closed his brown eyes, secure in the knowledge that Jack was watching over him, and tried to get some more sleep.

"Derek?" From his position on the floor, it took the Precept a few moments to realize that he'd actually heard the voice. Scrambling up to his feet, Derek looked down at Nick. He was somewhat relieved to see the light gray eyes looking up at him. That relief was tempered by the fact that he also saw unimaginable pain. The morphine seemed to be wearing off.

"Hi. How are you?" Derek asked. Absently, he wiped some of Nick's sweat soaked hair out of his eyes. They'd been here too long, Nick needed a haircut.

"Ah....hurts," was all Nick could get out between clenched teeth. He couldn't believe he was going through this again. Couldn't that damned vampire keep her teeth to herself? Shouldn't he have been able to protect himself? He was thoroughly trained in all the ways of doing it. He really didn't like feeling this damned helpless.

"I know," Derek sympathized. There wasn't much else he could do. He placed another damp cloth on Nick's forehead. He could almost feel the waves of heat rolling off of him.

Nick gasped as pain sliced through his groin. The pain was so bad that he desperately wanted to scream but Nick didn't have the strength. He closed his eyes tight and waited for it to pass. Tears squeezed from between his eye lids as the pain seemed to intensify, taking his breath away. Scared, Nick caught hold of Derek's nearest hand and held on tight.

"Doctor?" Derek called out after seeing the distress his friend was in.

In an instant Mark was beside him, reaching beyond him to touch Nick's sweat slicked forehead. "Damn it," he swore under his breath. The man's face was locked in a grimace, his back arching as his muscles tightened. Clearly he was in a great deal of pain and discomfort.

He knew it was too soon but Mark couldn't handle seeing him suffer. He knew he wasn't going to get close to the lethal dosage but it still made him a little nervous. Fishing around in his bag, Mark pulled out the vial and syringe. Expertly he injected a smaller dosage into Nick's thigh. "That should make him a little more comfortable."

"What are you doing?" Marcus demanded. As usual, the appearance of the head vampire made Mark jumped. He really hated how quietly the demon could move.

"He's in pain. I've given him some more morphine," Mark responded. He was careful to keep his back toward Marcus. Otherwise the vampire would see the hate and anger on his face.

"Nancy?" Marcus asked as he glanced beyond Mark at his donor. Even from this distance he could tell that Nick's blood was slightly contaminated by infection. He was really going to have to do something about his sister if he planned on keeping these men alive.

"Yes," Mark replied. He had everything back in his bag. Standing up, he moved over to the new arrivals.

"How are they doing?" Marcus asked as he followed Mark over to them. He hated to burst the doctor's bubble but he could smell the anger and loathing coming off the man. He simply chose to ignore it. The doctor was too valuable to give in to petty emotions.

"They're both sleeping," Mark stated.

"Well, I wouldn't want to disturb that, now, would I?" Marcus purred. Just to bug the doctor, he reached over to the youngest Winchester and ran a hand down the side of his neck to his chest. Under his fingers, the young man flinched and whimpered as visions raced through his mind. Pleased with himself, Marcus chuckled. This one was going to be a lot of fun.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hello! Thank you for being patient. I hope to have the next chapter out quickly, just depends on how tired I am after work!! Thank you very much for taking the time to review. I love to hear what you think about what's going on. _

_Enjoy chapter eleven. I hope!!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

After Marcus left silence fell over the cave. Dr. Mark made his rounds, trying to keep everyone as healthy as he could under the circumstances. Finished, he paused by Aaron and Spencer. He hadn't really had time to talk to the two men since their arrival. Marcus and the others had kept him busy. He knew from the older man's demeanour that he was a law enforcement member of some kind. From the suit he wore, Mark assumed him to be FBI or CIA.

For the first three days after they were brought here, the older man had stayed awake, trying to keep his young charge safe. Of course it didn't work but Mark had to give him points for trying.

"How are you?" Mark asked the older man. He seemed to remember his name being Aaron Hotchner. The names were starting to blend together after so many.

"Fine," was the quiet response. Aaron was sitting on the floor below his charge's bed. From the dark circles under his brown eyes, he hadn't been sleeping any more than necessary. There was a fierceness in those dark depths that gave Mark pause. He didn't think he wanted to be the one hurting his friend.

"I'm just going to do a quick check, okay?" Mark said as he tried to inch a little closer. In the light from the fire he could see that Spencer was sleeping fitfully. The puncture marks on his neck stood out starkly on his pale skin. Lying as he was with his knees drawn up and his head turned away, Mark got a fleeting impression that he was younger than he actually was. Mark thought that knowing the vampire that had picked Spencer as prey, that innocence was probably a big part of the attraction.

In the dim light, Mark quickly took the younger man's vitals. Luckily Spencer's owner hadn't been around in the last couple of days to feed. His vitals were stronger. If he was left alone for another day or so the effects of being fed on would be virtually eliminated. Unfortunately, Mark wasn't going to hold his breath.

"How are the others?" Aaron asked from the ground. While watching over Spencer he'd had a lot of time to take in the other inhabitants of the cave. The hobbits really threw him but then, up until recently he wouldn't have believed that vampires were real either.

"As good as can be expected," Mark replied. Suddenly feeling a little weary, he sat down beside the older man and surveyed his realm. "God I hope this is over soon."

"I think it's up to us to make that happen," Aaron stated. He'd been formulating escape plans since he first arrived. So far none of them had been plausible. The donors were going to have to get a whole lot better before they'd have a chance to get out of here.

"Yeah, I know," Mark admitted. "I just don't see a way to do it."

Silence fell between the two men as they looked over the other people in the cave. Despair started to gnaw at Mark's mind. How the hell were they ever going to get out of here?

OOOOO

"Dean?"

The voice was very quiet. It took Mark a moment or two to realize it was coming from one of the new arrivals. Scrambling up to his feet, the doctor headed over to the taller of the two men.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Mark Gideon," he said in way of introduction. Both men had been unconscious when Marcus had brought them here so he didn't want to startle the man. "Who's Dean?"

The younger man's eyes looked around wildly while he tried to get his bearings. Finally they came to rest on Mark's face but with the fire behind him Sam couldn't make out any features. "Where's Dean?" he demanded in as strong a voice as he could muster. It sounded awfully quiet and weak in his ears.

"I'm going to assume Dean is the man you were brought here with. If that's the case, he's lying in the bed beside you," Dr. Mark responded. Now that the man was awake he did a more thorough examination. "What's your name?"

It took the man a few seconds to answer. He was too busy trying to pull away from Mark. He didn't know the man and certainly didn't trust him to be touching him.

"It's okay. I'm a doctor. I just want to make sure you don't have any other injuries," Mark tried to reassure him. He could tell that if the man were up to full strength that he would have had a real problem on his hands. As it was, he used one hand to keep the younger man's arms out of his way while he checked his vital signs.

"Where's Dean?" Sam was having a hard time processing what was going on. It felt like he was thinking through bales of unrefined cotton. The last coherent memory he had was of the two of them trying to track down a vampire. He and Dean had followed it to its lair in an old mine shaft. Just as they were about to corner it the world had gone dark.

What happened after that was currently a little hazy. All Sam knew for sure was that he was as weak as a kitten and Dean was hurt somewhere nearby. He could hear his brother's soft moans above the crackling of the fire. Desperate to check on his brother, Sam tried to sit up and swing his legs over the side of the bed.

As soon as he got into a sitting position nausea assailed his senses. Swallowing rapidly, Sam blinked at the shadow hovering over him and tried to get the words out. He didn't have time. Bile rose and exploded out his mouth and nose. Then he was retching until his sides hurt over the side of his bed.

After long experience with the donors, Mark had known what was coming as soon as the younger man sat up. Stepping to the side, he avoided being thrown up on and helped to keep the man upright until the fit passed.

"Here, rinse your mouth out and then drink some," Mark instructed. He handed the man a water bottle and watched as he weakly did as he was told. As soon as he swallowed a few mouthfuls though, they threatened to come back up. "That's enough for now."

Gently, Mark helped the younger man lie back down. He was even weaker than before. His dark grey eyes closed as soon as his head reached the pillow.

"What's your name?" Mark asked as the man began to give in to exhaustion.

"Sam," was the quiet response. Mark settled the fur over his long body and pulled it up under his chin. A deep sigh came from Sam as he gave in entirely to oblivion.

Satisfied that Sam was as comfortable as he was going to get, Mark turned his attention to covering up the vomit with the sand. As he worked, he glanced around the cave. It was then that he noticed that a dark figure had moved over to Spencer's bed. Aaron was slumped on the ground. Fear spiked through Mark's system. The figure was too thin to be anyone but Nancy.

"Do we stop her?" Jack asked from beside Mark. He'd seen the vampire enter and had also recognized her immediately.

"Only if you want to get hurt," Mark responded. His stomach sank down somewhere around his knees. So much for Spencer feeling better. As he watched, Nancy bent forward. Spencer came awake with a jerk and tried to get away from her. With one flick of her hand, the tall young man became instantly still. She'd hypnotized him, same as she had Aaron. Then it was hard to see what she was doing but Mark saw Spencer's face contort in pain in the fire light.

Fed up, Mark left the inner cave. Once he was beyond its confines he broke into a run. He hadn't wanted to draw Nancy's attention. If he could find Marcus, the master vampire may be able to stop her. It was the only real chance he had.

OOOOO

"Nancy. What are you doing?" Marcus demanded. The human doctor had found him several feet down the corridor.

"Nothing," Nancy purred as she stood upright and wiped blood off her chin. There was a happy grin on her face. Beyond her, Marcus could see the donor. His clothes were pulled away and his left hip was exposed. Even from this distance he could smell the spilt blood.

"He wasn't yours. Why did you feed off of him?" Marcus insisted. There were strict rules that the vampires lived by. One of them was that they never took from someone else's donor. Nancy had just broken that law.

"David hasn't shown any interest in him lately," she responded, trying to look as innocent as possible. "I didn't want him getting healthy on us. They're too much trouble when they are at full strength."

"That wasn't your decision to make," Marcus barked. He was going to have to deal with this and quickly. The last thing he needed was to have a war started over his impetuous sister.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself," Nancy purred.

Angrily, Marcus caught hold of her arm and pulled her out of the cave.

As soon as the vampires left, Mark made his way to Spencer's side. He all ready knew what he was going to find. The bite mark was vicious. She'd managed to tear the puncture wounds a good half inch in each direction. The only thing Mark was thankful for was that she hadn't gone further toward the young man's genitals. The hip was going to be painful enough without adding the indignity of being molested by a blood sucker.

"What happened?" Aaron demanded. He hadn't even seen Nancy approach and had been totally unaware when she'd hypnotized him. The BAU unit chief couldn't believe it when he'd stood up and found the damage done to his young charge.

"Nancy," was all Mark had time to say as he attended the wounds. Once he got them clean, he was forced to put stitches in them to close the skin. Under his fingers he could feel the young man trembling. At the moment he couldn't be sure if it was from cold, shock or fear.

"Damn it," Aaron swore as he watched the doctor work. Unsure of what else to do, he moved up to Spencer's head and wiped some of his hair out of his eyes. The young genius was unconscious and covered in a thick layer of sweat. How had he let any of this happen?

Before Mark was finished seven burly vampires entered the cave followed shortly by Marcus. The master vampire indicated Nick, Ed, Dean, Sam and Spencer. "Bring them now," he ordered as he left the cave. Pandemonium erupted in his wake.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

"What's going on here?" Marcus demanded as he entered the cave. In a moment he took in the vampires trying to pick up the donors and their watchers trying to stop them. While the humans were trying their best, they were little more than annoyances for the vampires. As he watched, the one named Jack was sent flying into a wall while the guard turned to pick up a struggling Ed. At the sound of his voice, the vampires stopped but the watchers didn't. Derek, Aaron and Jack were still trying to knock the vampires down. Jack had picked himself up off the sandy ground and was again trying to stop the guard.

"Stop!" Marcus bellowed. The humans became still and turned to glare at the master vampire.

"I can't take care of them on my own," Mark interjected. He had tried to stop the whole thing but no one had listened to him. As a result Jack seemed to have a few cracked ribs, Derek had a gash over his right eye that was dripping blood all down his face and Aaron had a black eye and a twisted wrist.

"I had no intentions of leaving them alone," Marcus reassured the humans. As he watched Ed and Nick tried to reach their feet. Neither was successful. He smiled. Just the way he liked them.

"Four of them have infections thanks to your sister. It would really help if Max could at least partially heal them," Dr. Mark suggested. He knew he was treading on thin ice but he had to ask.

"No," Marcus barked. He turned to glare at the doctor. He was starting to wonder how much use the man really was sometimes.

Derek turned away from the proceedings around him. In Nick's attempt to stand, all he really managed to do was sit up before he passed out. Nick was slumped over onto his side, his hips twisted in his efforts. Knowing the damage done, Derek knew that when he woke up Nick was going to be in pain. He pulled the fur back and worked to get his security specialist lying on his back again. Under his ministrations, Nick moaned quietly and twitched but remained unconscious.

"They are going to become septic unless I cauterize the wounds and remove all the dead flesh. In Nick's case the whole process could be fatal," Dr. Mark pushed. He even went so far as to take a step toward the master vampire. The other demons stepped back, waiting to see what their leader was going to do. The biggest one moved over toward Spencer.

The young FBI profiler was sleeping fitfully. His long brown hair was mussed up. The vampire found him to be particularly attractive at the moment. He liked his prey tall and lean. Spencer certainly fit that bill. Unfortunately, the vampire didn't feel like fighting his owner for him. Sighing, he stood by and looked down on the human's sleeping face. Maybe some day.

Marcus looked around at the donors. The doctor was right. Dean, Nick and now Spencer were in danger of losing their lives thanks to his sister. Growling deep in his throat, Marcus instructed the vampires to pick up their charges. "You will be coming as well so don't cause any problems," he growled at the watchers.

"Where are we going?" Jack demanded. He tried to stand between Ed and the vampire who'd moved again to collect him. The vampire simply pushed him out of his way and slung a groaning Ed over his shoulder. Apparently he didn't care about any of the human's damage. He just wanted to get this over with. Humans were fine to feed off of but hanging around them gave him the creeps. Also, he thought, they smelled bad.

"Just do as you're told, human," Marcus growled. These donors and their handlers were starting to become more of a hassle than they were worth. "Otherwise I'll kill you and your friend will be left all alone here. Under my care."

Regaining his feet, Jack looked at the master vampire, weighing his options. Then he glanced at his partner. Ed was bonelessly slung over the vampire's shoulder, small moans escaping every time he drew breath. The longer the blond man was kept in that position, the more trouble he was going to be in. Sighing in frustration, Jack stepped out of the way and waited patiently for the group to get going.

"Finally," Marcus muttered. He paused long enough to make sure that the donors had been picked up before leading the way out of the cave. At the rear of the little convoy, Dr. Mark scanned his other charges still in the cave to make sure they were stable enough for him to leave long enough to find out where Marcus was putting the others.

OOOOO

The first thing Dean became aware of was the fact that he was alone. At first it was kind of pleasant. It had been a very long time since he'd had any time to himself. Then the pain in his belly made itself known. It felt like someone was holding a branding iron against his lower abdomen. In the cacophony of sensations, he was barely aware of his ribs. A small gasp broke through.

"Sam?" Dean called off softly. He knew his baby brother had to be somewhere nearby. Sammy was never very far away. He just hoped that he was in better shape. Dean pried his right eye open and tried to find Sam.

"He's still sleeping," a vaguely familiar voice stated from somewhere above him. There was a bright light in front of Dean that was making it really hard to see properly. He had to blink rapidly for a few moments to adjust his eyes to the glare.

"What the hell happened?" Dean grumbled. He tried to peer around the person standing beside his bed. Well, bed was a rather generous word for whatever it was that he was lying on. Above the burning of the bite, his back was aching abominably. What was he lying on, rock?

A soft moan beside him drew his attention to his other side. Relief flowed through Dean. In the light from the fire, Dean saw his brother's face turned toward him. They were both lying on the same bed. As much as he'd enjoyed the momentary sense of being alone, Dean was suddenly wildly happy to be sharing a bed with his baby brother.

"How's Sam?" Dean grunted. His own pain came secondary to that of his brother. It always had and always would. Ignoring his pain, Dean rolled toward his brother. He needed to check on him with his own eyes. Bad idea. A simply twist of his hips and his world exploded. Dean wasn't even aware of it as he collapsed back onto the bed.

"Damn it," Dr. Mark growled. He straightened out the older brother. They were going to have to keep Nancy's victims as still as possible. Unfortunately, the beds in here were even less comfortable than the others had been. He was going to have to be dealing with aching backs as well as infections.

"Dean?" the younger brother called out quietly. He was trying to pry his eyes open and sit up. Neither process was particularly successful.

"He's right beside you," Dr. Mark tried to reassure him. Quickly he took the older man's vitals. His heart rate was a little fast and his temperature was rising. Not great, but it could be worse.

Still looking a little out of it, Sam rolled onto his side to face his brother. He'd finally managed to force open his dark gray eyes. What he saw didn't make him feel any better.

In the fire light, Sam could see a think sheen of sweat shining on Dean's pale face. As he watched a grimace passed over that familiar countenance.

"What's wrong with him?" Sam asked. Over top of his brother's face, images from the vampire's blood appeared. They were followed shortly by one of his blinding headaches. Grunting against the pain, Sam concentrated on his brother.

"He has an infection as well as cracked ribs," Dr. Mark told him. While he talked he pulled out a syringe and antibiotics. It was the only thing he could do. There were no ice machines where they were. Cool water was in abundance but it only went so far.

"What's the infection from?" Sam asked. The pain in his head was lessening. The images were facing away as well. He reached over and placed a hand on Dean's chest. It was an instinctive reaction. He wanted proof that his brother was really there and that he was still alive.

"Nancy has a particularly nasty mouth. Everyone she bites gets sick," Mark said as he injected the antibiotics into Dean's arm.

Dean began to shift listlessly. He moaned softly and his eyes moved rapidly under his eye lids. Sam knew he was dreaming. Whatever he was seeing behind his closed eyes wasn't allowing him the deep, healing sleep he needed. Unsure of what else to do, Sam slid his left arm under his head and pulled his big brother close. Closing his eyes, Sam rested his chin on Dean's forehead and rubbed his left arm with his right hand. They were going to get through this. Some how.

On the next bed Nick was trying to wake up again. Derek almost wished he wouldn't, at least not until the pain had lessened considerably. He hated seeing his young protégé so weak and helpless. He especially hated seeing him in so much pain. The Legacy Precept wasn't sure if their situation had improved with the move or not.

Certainly they were in a much smaller area that the fire was more effective at keeping warm. There were fewer of them there but he still wondered about the others in the other area. Derek knelt down beside Nick's bed and watched as his pale gray eyes fluttered open and came to rest on him. The pain was still burning in their depths but the ex SEAL seemed to be managing it.

"How are you?" Derek asked. He held a cup of water up to Nick's lips and lifted his head to help him drink from it.

"I've been better," Nick replied the ghost of a crooked grin gracing his lips. He could feel the fever rising in his body. Mostly it just made him mad. He glanced down at his broken arm. It was puffy where it had snapped but appeared to be healing relatively cleanly. He knew from the pain that he had been bitten again in the same spot. That too made him mad. Since when had he become the consummate victim?

"That I don't doubt," Derek replied. With his assistance Nick drank two cups of water before he'd had enough.

"Do we know where we are? Can we get out of here?" Nick asked.

"Unfortunately the answer to both questions is no. I'm going to go do a little scouting now that you are feeling better," Derek said. He got up and made his way to the entrance to the cave. He was going to step through when he noticed the two vampires standing on either side. So much for that idea.

As he stood at the entrance, Derek felt a presence come up beside him. He glanced over to find Aaron Hotchner standing just behind his left shoulder. The agent took in the vampires as well and then stepped out. Instantly the vampires turned toward him. The one on his right was the big one that had hovered so close to Spencer. "What do you want?" the vampire growled.

"Fresh air would be nice," Aaron answered.

"Get back inside before I feed on you," the big vampire stated. Aaron could see the violence just beneath the surface. The creature was more than willing to suck him dry.

"I don't know that Marcus would appreciate that," Aaron stated. He knew he was angering the demon but at the moment he didn't really care. He was tired of watching Spencer suffer and it didn't appear that it was going to change any time soon. Unless he did something about it. Besides, the pain in his wrist was making him cross.

"He would agree with my assessment of the situation," the demon threatened. He glanced at his partner as if waiting for permission. With a nod of his partner's head, the demon turned toward Aaron. Not one to scare easily, Aaron suddenly decided confronting the guard wasn't such a good idea. He turned and headed back into the cave.

The two humans went back to their companions. As they reached them, Marcus entered the cave followed shortly by a shuffling Max. The young man looked paler than usually and didn't bother to look up at the donors. His sole center of concentration was Marcus's feet.

"He can heal the infections but nothing else," the master vampire said. He was treading on thin ice by borrowing the alien. If his owner found out, Marcus would have to explain himself. Even as the master.

There were rules that must be followed. Otherwise the vampire society would disintegrate to individuals looking out for themselves. The world had seen this happen a few times but not recently. The increase in communication between the various countries limited their ability to fight among themselves. Someone always found out and tried to stop them. Sometimes they were successful. Sometimes they were not.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

"Yes, sir," Maxwell said. He was tired. The vampire had been feeding off of him regularly, trying to keep him weak. It was working. The last thing he wanted to do at the moment was heal anyone. But you didn't say no to Marcus unless you wanted to get hurt.

With slow, careful steps, Maxwell made his way to the nearest bed. There was a tall fellow lying on it holding onto a smaller man. There was something familial in the pose. Max suddenly missed his own sister. Shaking the thoughts away, he placed a hand on the smaller of the two men.

"What are you doing?" the taller one demanded. Max got the feeling he was ready to do some serious damage to him if he didn't like the answer.

"I'm going to remove the infection from his body," Max replied. His voice was barely above a whisper. It was all the energy he could afford to expend at the moment.

"How do you plan on doing that?" the taller man pressed. He really didn't like the idea of this stranger touching his brother.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt him," Max tried to reassure him. Ignoring the man, he turned his attention to the immediate task. It was going to be a long enough session as it was. Tentatively, Max held his hands over the shorter man's body. The infection was rampant through his system. It was going to take a while to remove all of it. If Max happened to heal him a little too much along the way, so be it.

While Maxwell worked on Dean, Mark did a quick examination of Ed. The man didn't appreciate it much but the doctor wanted to make sure he didn't have any unforeseen complications. The blond Canadian winced under his hands and occasionally tried to pull away if the pain got to be too much. Jack hovered nearby, ready to pounce if need be. He kept his attention split between the doctor and Ed and Marcus. He really hated having the vampire anywhere near him. The man gave him the creeps and the potential for violence was always just below the surface.

Still not too sure about this, Sam kept a very close eye on what the young man was doing to his brother. All he seemed to be doing was holding his hands over Dean's body with his eyes closed. As Sam watched, he saw a couple of beads of sweat appear on the boy's brow. They slid down the side of his face. Whatever he was doing was causing some kind of strain. It was then Sam noticed that the boy was starting to sway a little.

With a deep sigh, Maxwell managed to stand up. The man was as healed as he was going to get. Without a word, he moved over to the next man. Max recognized him. Grumbling under his breath, he did a quick assessment and then concentrated.

"What's he doing?" Spencer croaked. Aaron had been sitting on the floor beside his young charge's bed. He was greatly relieved to hear his friend and colleague awake. Rising to a crouch, Aaron brought his head level with the horizontal Spencer. The young man looked awful. His skin was pale. There were dark circles under his eyes and a haunted look hovered in his brown eyes.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. If you can believe Marcus, he's healing people," Hotchner responded. Absently, he reached out and pushed some stray hair out of Reid's eyes. The boy really did need a hair cut but Hotch knew he wasn't likely to get one any time soon. His young associate liked to wear his hair long. Hotch wasn't sure if it was to emphasize his child-like appearance or if it was a simple case of rebellion. If it was due to the later, it was probably the only thing Spencer had rebelled against in his life.

"Well, we didn't believe there were vampires until a week ago," Spencer replied, a tired smile caressing his lips. Try as he might, Spencer couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. As Aaron watched, his brown eyes fluttered and then slammed shut. A soft sigh escaped from his lips as he slipped into oblivion.

"Are you going to be able to help everyone?" Derek asked. He could see how much this was taking out of young Max. He wasn't sure he had it in him to heal all three of them. Even partially.

"I'm going to try," Max hedged. He really wished they would stop asking him questions. The energy it took to think up an answer and then voice it was nearly too much for him. He knew the older man was concerned. He just wished he'd do it quietly.

"What the??" Nick said as he sprang awake. He had no idea who this kid was or why his hands were glowing over him. He did notice that he was feeling a little stronger. Maybe this was that kid Max. That certainly made sense.

"Nick, this is Max. Marcus has allowed him to remove the infection from all of you," Derek tried to reassure his security chief. "Just lie still."

"Sure, no problem," Nick replied. He couldn't help it. He had an automatic need to move away from the kid. He supposed that it was from the abuse he'd suffered recently. The only person he thoroughly trusted was Derek. The rest were questionable. To distract himself from the young man's proximity, Nick looked around their new digs. These people were a little too much into the subterranean look.

The cave was smaller than it had been. In the center a large fire was burning. There were a total of three beds that looked more like alters circling it. He was on the one furthest from the cave entrance. The two brothers were on the one across from the doorway while the tall, thin kid was between the two beds. What the hell? Where had all the others gone?

While he pondered, trying to figure things out, Nick realized he was starting to feel a little less completely wasted. Curious, he glanced up at Max. Apparently, while he was feeling better, the kid was feeling worse. Guilt surfaced. Absently, he moved away from Max. He didn't want the kid to get worse on his account.

"I'm not done," Max muttered. The world was spinning around him. Secretly he was grateful that the man had stopped him. Max hadn't managed to remove all of the infection but he had gotten enough of it that Nick's immune system should be able to handle it now. Before, his system had been overwhelmed unable to deal with the level of pollutants.

"Yes, you are," Nick responded. He had to reach out and keep the boy from crashing down on top of him. Under his fingers, he could feel the younger man's body trembling with fatigue. "Maybe you should rest for a little while before you work on the next one?"

"I wish I could," Max said. Licking his lips to fight the nausea that was threatening, Max carefully turned to the other bed. His vision was growing dark. He'd never worked his abilities this hard. He'd never been this tired before while trying to use them either.

From his position near the door, Marcus could see the alien's difficulties. Damn, he thought. He'd really hoped to do this quickly, before Max's owner had noticed his absence. So much for that. Growling under his breath, Marcus moved over and made Max sit down. "Take as long as you need."

Still grumbling under his breath, Marcus left. This was going to take a little too much explaining. He paused long enough to check with the guards before continuing down the hallway. All the while, he was cursing and growling in frustration.

Dr. Mark sighed as he turned his attention to the young alien. The last thing he needed was another sick donor. By the time he covered the few steps, Max's eyes had slammed shut and he was sound asleep, his chin resting on his chest.

"Will he be okay?" Derek asked. He didn't much care if the boy was an alien. So far he'd done nothing but try to help.

"Yeah, he just needs some rest. I'm really surprised that Marcus is letting him," Dr. Mark responded. "The vampires are very territorial over their prey. This could cause problems."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

A quiet lull fell over the cave. It was only interrupted by the arrival of food and water that the guards brought in. Dr. Mark was very careful to make sure that everyone got their fair share, even those that were sleeping. The water was easier to distribute since the vampires had learned early on that the donors came dehydrated quickly. Water was one commodity that usually flowed with abundance.

Dr. Mark was grateful for the down time for everyone. It gave the donors and their attendants a while to recuperate. It was time well spent. Once he was sure that everyone was comfortable, Dr. Mark slipped out the door and headed back to the old cave. He still had people there to watch over.

OOOOO

"Sam?" Dean said quietly. He'd awaken several minutes before and had just built up the energy to speak. He felt better than he had but he was still pretty damned weak. He gritted his teeth as a wave of pain erupted from his bite mark. Damn he wished he could get that bitch vampire alone with a stake for just a few moments.

"Hey, Dean, how are you feeling?" Sam asked. He shifted around until he could see his big brother's face. Dean had more color than he had had for a while but there were still dark circles under his blue-green eyes. Absently, Sam placed a hand on Dean's forehead. He was greatly relieved to find the skin under his fingers was cool to the touch.

"Like shit. What's going on?" Dean tried to sit up but didn't have the strength. He got all of four inches off the slab before he collapsed back down. "Damn it."

"Not much. There's food and water if you want some," Sam said, a smile playing across his lips. It was so good to see his brother awake and aware. Sam was willing to take Dean any way he could get him. A flash of bright light sparked in Sam's mind. Images from the vampire came crashing down on him. Along with it came a wave of nausea.

"What's going on?" Dean asked. He'd noticed the color drain from his kid brother's face. Now he was rapidly swallowing and looking around but not appearing to see anything.

"Visions," Sam muttered. The headache came right behind the nausea. Sam pushed the sensations away from him. He had to concentrate on his brother right now if they were going to have any chance of getting out of here.

"Bad?" Dean asked. He didn't need to ask the question, he could see the answer in his kid brother's eyes.

"It'll pass. Here, drink some of this," Sam said as he bent over the side of the bed and picked up one of the containers of water. It was time to start doing what needed to be done. Including getting Dean fed and rehydrated.

OOOOO

It didn't take long for Max to recharge. Two and a half hours after falling sound asleep he was awake. Absently he ran a hand over his face. Then he got up and shuffled over to where Spencer was lying. Max nodded his head at Aaron before running his hands over top of the young FBI agent's body without actually touching him.

Curious and nervous at the same time, SSA Aaron Hotchner watched very closely as the young boy administered to his colleague. The boy's hands came to hover over his hip. A warm, yellow-orange glow erupted from Max's hands and flowed into Spencer's body.

Well, Aaron thought, like Reid said, a few days ago they hadn't believed in vampires. Why were aliens all that different? Shaking his head, Aaron continued to watch until Max stepped back. The FBI agent saw uncertainty flash across the boy's handsome face. Max looked around and realized that Dr. Mark wasn't there.

"I guess I'll head back to the other cave," Max stated, an awkward smile gracing his lips. This statement caught Aaron's attention.

"Which way is back to the other cave?" he asked. He stood up and moved a few steps toward the shorter man.

"It's to the right when you walk outside the entrance," Max replied looking even more uncertain. He didn't know if he should be telling this man this. He could tell that Aaron was gathering information so he'd know which direction to not go in when they made a break for it. Max just hoped he'd be here when it happened. He didn't want to stay here either.

"Why don't you wait here until Dr. Gideon comes back. He'll know where you should be," Aaron suggested. He could sense the younger man's hesitation.

Before Max had a chance to reply, a commotion erupted in the hallway outside. Aaron could hear three men arguing then the big vampire that had been so interested in Spencer burst in the cave. Instantly on his guard, Aaron moved to get between the two of them. He made it nearly half way when he was batted rather unceremoniously out of the way.

Grinning evilly, exposing his too large teeth, the vampire closed in on Spencer as the young profiler woke up with a start. The sudden tension in the air had disturbed his sleep now that Max had healed his infection. "What?" Spencer began as he tried to scuttle backward, away from the vampire.

"You're mine now," the vampire said. He reached out toward the tall, lanky human. He made a whole three steps when he was bowled over by a combined attack by Jack, Aaron and Derek. None of the attendants were going to let him touch the donor without a fight. Their combined weight and strength sent the vampire flying.

Roaring, the vampire righted himself in an instant and grabbed Derek as he tried to get out of his range. As the vampire's hand closed on the Legacy Precept's wrist, Jack and Aaron attacked again. They managed to dislodge the demon's grasp but then he sent Jack flying with a flick of his powerful arm. Taking advantage of the momentary lull, the vampire did the same to Aaron and then Derek.

Satisfied, the vampire turned back toward Spencer only to find that he wasn't lying on the bed any more. Growling loudly, the demon turned around, scanning the cave to find his prey. The cave wasn't large but the fire only afforded a certain amount of light. Even with his heightened vision, the vampire had trouble finding the tall profiler until he noticed that there was a dark mass behind Max. The alien was facing him but not really showing any fear.

This really frustrated the vampire. He was too used to instilling terror in humans. Roaring, he raced at the young alien, intent on ripping him apart.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Just as the vampire came within striking distance, an orange glow erupted from Max's out stretched hands and smashed the vampire in the chest. The demon was thrown across the cave where he promptly disintegrated. As soon as Max knew the vampire was gone, he collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

"What the hell?" Jack breathed as he looked from where the vampire had hit the wall and where the young alien was crumpled on the ground.

"Let's get him on one of the beds," Derek suggested. He was feeling a little worse for wear but he was also energized. They'd taken on a vampire without any weapons and survived.

While Jack and Derek picked up Max and laid him down on Spencer's vacated bed, Aaron checked on his associate. Instinctively Spencer had moved as far from the vampire as he could and was still cowering as deep into the corner as he could get.

"Spencer?" Aaron Hotchner said as he approached the young profiler.

"Aaron?" Spencer responded as he blinked at his boss. It took a few moments for the image of his dark haired superior to really register. Visions of what was going to happen kept getting in the way.

"It's okay, Reid. The vampire is gone," Aaron said, trying to reassure the thin young man as he staggered to his feet.

"Good," was all Spencer could think to say.

Aaron propelled his charge toward the bed with Max. He watched until Spencer was half way there before he set out for the doorway. He needed to know what was happening and what was in the passageway.

Hope sprang in his heart and head as Aaron peered both ways. There were no vampires to be seen. Well, except for the dead one with its head ripped off just outside the door way. Quickly he made his way back to the others.

"They're gone. If we hope to get out of here anytime before one of us dies this is our best chance," SSA Hotchner instructed. He was the Unit Chief of the Behavioural Analysis Unit at Quantico. He was used to having his orders immediately acted on.

"There's too many wounded," Jack said. He glanced down at his partner. He doubted very much that Ed, Nick or either of the brothers was going to be able to go more than a few hundred feet before collapsing in exhaustion. There weren't enough attendants to carry the donors. Even if Dr. Mark made an appearance they were a person short.

"I'm game," Nick said as he tried to pry his protesting body off the bed. If he had to crawl, the ex SEAL was getting the hell out of here. Derek caught hold of his uninjured arm and got him to his feet. Ignoring the pain spiking through his broken arm and his bite, Nick took a few stumbling steps toward the entrance.

Within in seconds, the other donors were pulled to their feet and propelled in the right direction. Jack was forced to pick Max. The young alien was unconscious. Clearly, taking out that vampire had been more than he should have done. That certainly explained why Max hadn't done it before.

Leading Spencer on one side and helping Sam keep Dean erect with the other, Aaron paused in the entryway long enough to make sure the coast was clear. Then he set out, going to the left as Max had indicated. If they accomplished nothing else, Hotchner wanted to make sure they weren't where the vampires expected them to be.

The cave system they were in appeared to be massive, the Unit Chief was hoping to find a safe, out of the way place for them to stash the donors so that he and the other attendants could go back to rescue the others. Aaron had no intentions of leaving the others to the vampires' tender mercies. He planned on taking all of them with him.

Derek was in the middle of the pack, helping Nick, who tried to insist he could get along on his own. He was very grateful to be doing something, anything at the moment. He chose to follow the young FBI agent's lead for the time being but he wasn't going to do it forever. After all, how much experience could the dark haired man really have with vampires and other supernatural creatures? Glancing at the brothers who were moving just in front of him, Derek had the feeling they were much more accustomed to the supernatural world.

Between pain-filled gasps from Nick and Dean, Derek tried to listen to the brothers' whispered conversation. Derek could tell that while they didn't want to stay here, they really weren't all that thrilled to be in a group led by the FBI. The San Francisco house Precept could understand that sentiment. Not all supernatural hunters had the power and resources of the Legacy to lean on. He personally knew of two or three of them that frequently ran into law enforcement issues. The police didn't appreciate people in their jurisdictions disappearing without a logical explanation.

When Derek had first met Nick, his young security specialist had been very much like these men. Derek watched them carefully as the group made their way down the passageway. Luckily, the vampires didn't seem to like stumbling around in the dark any more than they did and had conveniently placed torches at wide intervals along the stone walls.

"How are you doing?" Derek asked Nick. The further they went, the more his friend was leaning against him. As much as Nick tried to hide it, Derek could tell that each step was agony. The Precept imagined that the bite mark was being aggravated every time he moved his legs. He didn't envy the smaller man at all.

"Are we there yet?" Nick gritted out between clenched teeth. He was doing everything he could to ignore the slicing pain in his groin. But all ready his skin was slick with sweat and his legs were trembling with fatigue. As much as Nick desperately wanted to get away from the vampires, he wasn't sure how much further he could go.

"I could try to carry you," Derek suggested. He knew Nick would rather die than be that dependant on another person but they were starting to lose ground with the ones in front. Besides, Derek didn't know how long he could carry the smaller man. As fit as he tried to stay, Derek was in his late forties and not quite as strong as he once was.

"No," Nick growled. Absently, he wiped sweat out of his eyes with his broken arm. The pain was minor and easily ignored. Not wanting to be left behind, Nick forced his protesting body to go faster. He wasn't going to be the reason they got caught.

"Maybe we should ditch them and try to find our own way out," Dean suggested. He hated it but he had to depend on his brother to keep him moving. Now that the infection was gone he was more aware of his surroundings but his body had still taken a beating. He was all ready very tired and he hated it.

"No, Dean," Sam said, a smile ghosting across his lips. He knew this was killing his big, strong, independent brother but at the moment he thought there was security in numbers. Once they got further away from the cave where they'd been held the youngest Winchester would consider breaking away. So far the passageway they'd been following had been pretty straight forward. Sam hadn't seen a single branch that would lead them in a different direction so far. Since they were all going in the same direction, they might as well stay together. For now.

Aaron was starting to think he'd made the wrong decision by going in this direction. It wasn't going to be particularly hard to figure out where they'd gone, there were no branches on this passageway. He was trying to keep Spencer on his feet and turned to check on his tall charge when something blew across his face. It took a solid half second for him to recognize it for what it was. Fresh air. Then he noticed the darker area within the dark area between the torches.

"Let's go this way," Aaron said as he headed out. Where there was fresh air, there had to be an exit. He just hoped that when they found it it would be big enough for all of them to get through it. Worst case scenarios kept playing through his mind.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

The group travelled for what felt like an eternity to most of them. Nick had to finally break down and allow Derek to pick him up, he couldn't stand the pain any longer. Even the fresh air couldn't raise his spirits. Then they came through an opening and were standing outside the labyrinth of tunnels.

It was dark. Apparently it was night time. All of them had lost track of time in the tunnels. Most of them didn't even know how long they'd been captured. They paused at the cave entrance and looked around, trying to get their bearings.

It didn't really help much though. None of them had been grabbed in a forest and yet they found themselves staring out at huge stands of trees. The cave was on a hillside, which explained the size of the complex. No one had any idea of which hill it was.

Peering up at the night sky, Nick tried to get a fix on their general location based on the stars' positions. It helped enough to tell him they were still in North America and probably the southern states but that was about it. As he watched a star made a slow, steady arc through the sky. Relief flowed through him. Despite Marcus's warning, they were still in the right century. What he'd just watched was either a satellite or an air plane.

"Thank God," Nick breathed. Needing a break, Derek had set him down and was helping his young security specialist remain standing. It took everything Nick had to ignore the pain and the weakness in his body.

"Do you know where we are?" Aaron Hotchner asked. He was at a complete loss. If Spencer were more aware he might be able to give them a general idea of their location but at the moment, the young doctor was sound asleep. He knew they all needed sleep. Food and water would have been very welcome as well but he felt the need to keep moving. The further they got away from the cave entrance the better chance they had of staying free.

"Not really," Nick admitted. "North America, somewhere in California I think."

"I've always wanted to see California," Dean stated. He was feeling worse than he was showing. He knew Sammy was concerned for him and was trying to keep that level of concern to a minimum. The pain in his abdomen where he'd been bit was bad but not so bad that he was completely incapacitated. Beside him, Sam shifted from foot to foot. He just wanted to keep going.

"I've never been out of Canada," Jack groused. The alien kid was getting heavy, so was Ed.

Aaron had had to pick Spencer up by slinging his long body over his shoulder. Shifting the bony young man to a more comfortable position, Aaron picked an arbitrary direction and headed out. He would have preferred going uphill to try to get a better idea of where they were but none of them were going to be able to make the climb. So, he headed downhill into the wooded valley below. If nothing else the trees should give them some cover when the vampires figured out where they'd gone.

As quietly as they could, the donors and their attendants made their way down to the valley bottom. It was tough going making their way through the thick trees and underbrush. The bugs that began buzzing around their heads added to their misery.

"I hate camping," Dean grumbled. He was leaning heavier on his brother the further they went. He didn't want to get captured again but sure hoped they were planning on stopping some time soon. Dean really needed a break. Absently he swatted at a mosquito that was buzzing around his left ear.

"Yeah, well, it beats the hell out of those caves," Sam replied. He was glad Dean was at least feeling well enough to complain. It was when his older brother stopped complaining that Sam started to worry.

"Yeah, I guess," Dean admitted. His foot slipped on a stone, nearly sending him rolling down hill. At the last second Sam grabbed hold of him. While the effort stopped Dean from falling, it aggravated his ribs. A moan was torn out of him as Dean rode the wave of pain that flashed through his side. Sam stopped moving and waited for his brother to recover.

A few yards ahead of the brothers, Aaron reached the bottom of the valley. He was extremely grateful to find a small stream winding its way through the trees. Gently, he laid Spencer down on some thick moss. Then he fell to his knees beside the cool fresh water and plunged his hands in. The water was ice cold but it didn't stop him from taking his fill. His hands nearly numb, Aaron ripped a strip off his grubby shirt and soaked it in the water.

By this time the others had joined him. Amid sighs of relief, the group gathered around the stream, taking their fill and bathing wounds. Aaron rang the rag out most of the way and moved over to Spencer. He allowed the moisture to drip onto his young colleague's lips. Instinctively, Spencer's tongue slipped between his lips and drew the water in. In a matter of minutes, the young doctor showed signs of coming around.

"Are we going to stay here?" Jack asked. He was tending to both of his charges. Ed responded to the water he'd brought him in the same manner as Hotch. Lying comfortably on the thick moss, Ed was watching the proceedings around him while trying to gather some strength. Max was still completely unconscious. Jack tried to make sure he didn't drown the young man while still getting some of the water into him.

"I'd like to get further from the caves," Aaron said. Spencer was blinking blurry eyes at him as he tried to take in his new surroundings. The presence of his boss and friend greatly relieved the anxiety that had threatened to overwhelm Reid when he'd first come to.

"We need to rest first," Sam stated. He watched as Nick slowly submerged his lower half into the water. The pain on his face was raw but it seemed to help. The Ex SEAL had made sure the others were finished drinking before giving in to the need to get as clean as he could. The last thing he wanted was to cause anyone else to get sick.

"I don't know how much further I'll be able to go without taking a breather," Jack added. He glanced at Ed and Max. They both desperately needed some time to recuperate as well.

"All right," Aaron said. He knew they were right but the need to keep going still burned within him. "We'll take half an hour and then follow the stream. It should lead us to a more populated area."

"Sounds like a plan," Nick said. He was feeling significantly better. He wasn't sure if it was the numbing effect of the water or just the feeling that he was cleaner than he had been since the baths earlier in his confinement. Either way, he was willing to take the added energy any way he could get it. Now that he knew they were staying there for a little while, Nick spent a few minutes scraping some of the sweat and grime off his skin. It was the most wonderful sensation he could currently remember feeling.

Once he was finished, some of the others spent time washing as well, although not to the extent Nick had taken. He knew he was going to be cold for a while until his pants dried but at the moment it felt well worth the slight discomfort.

OOOOO

An hour later, the group began moving again. As much as Aaron had wanted to keep moving, none of them had really had it in them. They quickly realized that it was easier to walk down the stream bed. The undergrowth was too thick along both sides to stay on the river bank. The current wasn't so bad that it tried to knock them off their feet.

"Are we going to stay with these guys much longer?" Dean asked his brother quietly. He recognized government types when he saw them. For that matter, he also recognized police men. The Winchesters tended to stay away from both groups of people. Their line of work usually got them in trouble with more narrow-minded, law abiding citizens.

"For now it seems like the best choice," Sam replied. The simple fact that his brother had asked the question meant to Sam that his older brother wasn't functioning at one hundred percent. For the moment, Sam didn't want to be caught out here alone by the vampires. He was quite honestly surprised that they hadn't been rounded up yet. The vampires must really be having a civil war if they hadn't noticed their donors were missing and hadn't followed them.

"I'm fine. Just push me in the right direction," Dean said. He tried to move away from his kid brother but immediately started to sway on his feet. Damn it.

"Yeah, I can tell. We're having enough trouble keeping up. I don't think breaking off on our own would be in our best interests at the moment," Sam said. He pulled Dean a little closer against his side. He knew his brother hated every moment of this but he was better able to move when Sam took most of his weight.

At the front of the line, Aaron was helping Reid stumble along in the cold water. His lanky associate was lacking in the coordination department at the moment. If Hotch had thought he could, he would have scooped Reid up in his arms and simply carried the young doctor. Hotch was still feeling tired from carrying Reid earlier, he really didn't think he had it in him quite yet. For the fifth time Reid lost his footing on the smooth stones that made up the streambed. Hotch managed to keep him upright long enough for him to find his feet again.

"Thanks," Spencer said, a crooked smile playing across his lips. He really hated feeling this young and vulnerable. In his job at the BAU, the others frequently looked toward Reid because of his phenomenal brain. He wasn't quite as impressive when he had to rely on his body alone.

"Why haven't they come after us?" Nick asked. He was allowing Derek to help him again as the numbing effects of the water had worn off. Each step was still agony but he was going to bear it as long as he could before letting Derek carry him again.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Derek replied. He'd been wondering the same thing.

The stream was getting wider the further they followed it. The river banks were still too crowded to follow so they stayed where they were. Nick hated feeling this exposed but there wasn't anything they could do about it.

About a mile later, the stream poured into a clearing. The stream took an abrupt right upon reaching the plateau. Suddenly feeling very exposed, Aaron moved to the right river bank before looking around. It was still dark out so he wasn't really expecting to see anything but what the faint moon light was willing to show him. The FBI agent made sure his subordinate was safe and secure before bobbing his head around the corner of the bank. Behind him, Aaron could feel the others joining him.

What he saw shocked him. Standing stock still, Aaron took in the clearing while he tried to remember to breathe.

"What do you see?" Derek asked. He couldn't see around the younger man but he knew from Aaron's reaction that it was something he hadn't expected.

Without answering, Hotch pushed away from the river bank, caught hold of Reid and began to wade to the far river bank. Dean and Sam took Aaron's place and got their first glimpse of the clearing.

On the other side of the river, further around the bend, the clearing was awash with light. Now that the bank was no longer between them and the encampment, the Winchesters could hear the generators thumping across the open space. Tents were set up and people could be seen wandering around the area.

"What the hell?" Sam gasped. His automatic response was to turn and run the other way. He really didn't like to be this close to any group that was this organized. It usually smacked of government agencies that were a little too interested in the brothers and what they did.

"It's okay," they heard Aaron throw over his shoulder. "My team is with them."

"Well, that doesn't really make me feel any better," Dean stated. Sick, weak and in pain, Dean still preferred to keep going. Government agencies gave him the creeps. It didn't help that the FBI was after him for a murder he didn't commit. He'd tried to explain about the shape shifter that had only looked like him but the agents handling his case had been less than receptive.

"Would you prefer the vampires?" Derek asked as he helped Nick slip by. He would have preferred handling this whole situation through the Legacy. They would have understood what needed to be done but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Nick needed medical attention, as did the others. He only hoped that the agents in the clearing would have some weapons that would work against the undead.

"No," Sam stated. He had to force Dean the first couple of steps but then he followed Nick and Derek. The older man was right. There was safety in numbers at the moment. Besides, anything the FBI could do to get his brother back on his feet would be greatly appreciated.

Jack brought up the rear helping a barely conscious Ed and still carrying Max. He was beyond happy to see other humans. Especially well armed humans.

Once Aaron and Spencer reached the other bank it was only a few yards before they were spotted. Pandemonium reigned as people and machinery scrambled to reach them. The first two people to cover the distance were a well build African American and an older man. Dean hadn't thought the man had it in him.

"Dave. Morgan. It is so very good to see you!" Aaron said as Spencer finally collapsed on him.

"What the hell happened?" Morgan demanded. In a heartbeat he took in Spencer's pale face and Aaron's numerous cuts and bruises under the beam of his flashlight. Clearly his boss was at the last of his strength as well as Hotch sank to his knees.

"It's a long story. There are more victims up at the top of the stream. You're going to have to be heavily armed. The unsubs are extremely strong," Aaron said in a rush. Dave, the older man, sank down in front of Aaron. He placed his hands on the younger man's shoulders and looked deeply into his brown eyes. What he saw there disturbed him.

"Bullets aren't going to stop them," Derek cautioned as he and Nick joined the little group. More people were arriving and blankets were being wrapped around the survivors.

"What do you mean bullets won't stop them?" Derek, the dark skinned man, demanded. He had picked Spencer up. It disturbed him too much to see his 'kid brother' lying unconscious on the grass.

"It's a long story. I think you will believe it better from your colleague," Derek replied. There were suddenly too many people around. He held Nick a little bit closer. He wasn't about to be separated from his friend.

"Let's get everyone back to camp," Dave suggested. He could see from everyone's faces how close to the edge they all were. Now was not the time to interrogate them. That would at least wait until they were all examined.

OOOOO

The next hour went by quickly. The survivors were taken to the largest tent where they were all situated in cots after quick showers and new clothes were supplied. Spencer, Nick, Dean and Ed were promptly asleep, unable to fight the urge any longer. Max had never woken up. Aaron had managed to run interference, keeping the medics away from him. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to explain the young man.

As much as Aaron wanted to join Spencer in slumber, he knew that the others in the caves needed to dealt with. He, Dave, Derek, Morgan and some of the others that had been participating in the search were gathered around a table. A map of the area was laid out on it with a lantern sitting on its center.

"You expect us to believe that we are dealing with vampires," the man in charge of the search demanded. He'd listened to everything the group of survivors had been able to relate to them, including where the cave mouth was probably located. But he was still having a very hard time grasping everything.

"You can choose to believe us or not," Derek responded. "If you ignore us, you will be sending your people in to die."

"I'm afraid he's right," Aaron interjected. He knew even Dave and Morgan were having a really hard time believing anything they said. It was bad enough that they'd been kidnapped on the other side of the country and wound up here. Hotch was sure the story of how they came to be searching these woods was going to be an interesting read as well.

"You're not serious?" Dave said. He knew Hotch and Reid had been through something terrible but he wasn't sure how much of it had affected his friend's mind.

"Deadly serious. You've seen the wounds. You're heard what the doctors said about lack of blood. You've also heard our stories of what went on inside those caves. If you go in there with nothing but your firearms it's going to be a blood bath," Aaron insisted. Dave and Morgan could both tell that their superior was being deadly serious. Each man felt their world shift a little under their feet as they readjusted to the new version. One that included the possibilities of vampires.

"What do you suggest we take with us?" the man in charge finally asked after taking a few moments to consider his options. As near as he could tell the man wasn't nuts. He decided to take his advice under consideration while still taking his rifles with him.

"You will need to decapitate the vampires or force a wooden stake through their hearts, just as the stories suggest. Fire works too but not as well," Derek Rayne told him. He knew how it sounded. He just didn't want to be responsible for this man's people being killed by lack of knowledge.

"It's nearly daylight. Should we wait until then to go in?" Derek Morgan asked. He honestly couldn't believe he was even considering all of this. But he knew Hotch believed it so it must be true.

"It's not going to matter inside the caves. It's going to be dark Irregardless. Make sure you take flashlights for everyone. It's going to be hard enough to not get lost as it is," Derek told him. Quickly, he glanced over at Nick. His associate was sleeping peacefully. The doctor had given him some more morphine. The doctor had also given some to Spencer and Dean. Both men were sound asleep. Sam was hovering nearby. He really didn't want to be here.

"We'll use hand held GPS. It'll help map out the system while allowing us to find out way back," Dave said.

"Good idea," Aaron said. Exhaustion was creeping up on him. He glanced over at Spencer. There was a cot beside him that was reserved for the Unit Chief. As much as Hotch hated to see two of his team go anywhere without him, he knew he was going to be nothing but a hindrance.

"I'll go brief the others, we'll set out in ten minutes," the leader said as he left the table.

"Dave, Derek, be careful in there. These things are fast and nasty," Aaron said. Carefully, he made his way over to his cot. Lying down, he barely had time to notice his two friends leave before he too was sound asleep.

Derek Rayne watched as the two men left. He had a really bad feeling about this but his only concern at the moment was Nick. He should let Alex and Rachel know where they were but at this point he really had no idea. Moving over to his bed beside Nick, Derek settled in. For once, someone else was going to have to keep watch.

OOOOO

The next several hours kind of blurred together. The teams set out intent on liberating the other donors and their attendants. The survivors in the camp slept, trying to restore their strength under the watchful eye of the doctors and their aids.

By the time the search teams returned, Sam and Dean had disappeared. The brothers had slipped away in the early dawn. Neither of them wanted to answer any more questions. Since they were victims and not unsubs, Aaron decided to let them go. He had the feeling there was something else going on there but he wasn't about to pursue that line of thought.

Derek awoke to find that the sun had been up for several hours. He stretched in the cot and glanced over at Nick. The younger man was just waking up as well. Blinking sleep out of his eyes, Nick looked around, clearly not quite sure of where he was.

"It's okay, Nick. We're safe," Derek tried to reassure his friend. Sitting up on his cot, Derek reached over and laid a comforting hand on Nick's nearest shoulder.

"Can we go home now?" Nick asked. He knew it sounded childish but he didn't really feel up to waiting for the end. All he really wanted to do was go home and recuperate in his own bed.

"I'll see about contacting Alex and Rachel. They must be frantic by now," Derek said. He looked over at Aaron, Spencer, Ed and Jack. He realized that Sam, Dean and Max were gone. Somehow he wasn't quite surprised. He just hoped the brothers had taken the young alien with them. The last thing they needed at the moment was to explain about the young man and what he was.

Standing up, Derek headed toward the communications tent. That was easily located because of the huge antenna situated beside it. It took a little convincing but eventually he got a line to Angel Island. He wasn't sure who was more excited to hear the other, him or Alex.

OOOOO

The search teams had been successful in rescuing the rest of the donors. Inexplicably, Boromir and the hobbits were nowhere to be found. Jack and Ed were making arrangements to get back to Toronto when Derek left while Aaron had stayed on at the base camp to help with the clean up. Spencer had stayed as well, not willing to travel alone. The young genius supposed he might have that particular hang up for a while. Well, it wasn't the first time Spencer had had to deal with an unpleasant experience. This time he hoped he wouldn't have to turn to drugs to see his way clear of it.

Traces of the brothers and Max were found in the woods but despite an exhaustive search, the FBI agents were unable to find them. Nick wasn't particularly surprised. There was something of the hunter about the two men. He had the feeling they were only going to be found if they wanted to be. He just hoped that Max was faring well. It was the first time he'd met and alien. One part of him hoped it wouldn't be the last.

OOOOO

"Easy does it," Derek said as he helped Nick out of the car. The Legacy members had been flown by helicopter to the nearest air strip where they chartered a plane to bring them to San Francisco. A car from the air port had been their last mode of travel. Nick was sore in areas of his body he hadn't even been aware he possessed until now. Looking up at the steps leading to the front door, he suddenly felt infinitely old.

Gently, Derek helped the shorter man make his way up the stairs. Before they were half way up, the door flew up and Alex and Rachel were racing toward them. Both men could plainly see the fear and concern on the women's faces.

"We're all right. There' s nothing wrong with us that a good night sleep in our own beds wouldn't cure," Derek said, trying to appease them.

"Speak for yourself," Nick grated. He was having far too much trouble getting to the top step. The staircase to his room seemed insurmountable at the moment.

"Don't worry. I've gotten you this far. I have no intention of stopping now," Derek said. Alex slipped over to Nick's other side and the two of them virtually carried the young security specialist the rest of the way.

"I can't wait to hear about this one," Rachel said as she led the way to Nick's room. As the only medically trained member of San Francisco house, she was all ready considering her plan of attack. Nick was in bad shape but that wasn't going to last long under her supervision.

"Give us a day or two, maybe we'll tell you," Derek replied, a small smile playing across his lips. He wasn't entirely sure how much of this he really wanted to share with the women. He knew Rachel was going to examine Nick and probably himself but how much was told would depend on the young man between them. If Nick didn't feel like sharing, they were always going to have to wonder.

"Just get me to bed, please," Nick said. It had been too long since he'd slept in his own bed. Everything else was going to have to wait. For the most part, Nick just wanted to forget the whole thing had ever happened and get back to work ASAP. A few other thoughts kept bouncing around in his mind but he successfully squashed them. They were going to have to wait for another day.

"That's the best proposition I've had in a while," Alex joked as they paced through the entryway toward the staircase. She could feel Nick trembling with fatigue under her arm. She decided to give the younger man room. He'd tell them when he was ready. Right now the only thing that really mattered was getting him well and back on his feet.

The front door swung closed as the car drove away. For the first time in days all the members of the Legacy were home. Home sweet home.

The End.

**AN: The end kind of sucks but it was the only way I could think to draw it to a conclusion. Thank you very much for coming along for the ride. I only hope that I haven't disappointed!!!**

**Susanne**


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